I Need a Doctor
by JinxLyric
Summary: The story of depressed 21 year old woman, Lillian Halidae, after years of pointless therapy she's developed an unrelenting hatred of doctors, will a life changing encounter with THE Doctor be the event that sways her hatred and undo the damage that's been caused by a past regeneration?
1. Session 1: Introductions

"I was uncomfortable in that uniform, always was. The shirts were always tight on my chest and around my arms and I always had to fasten my trousers with safety pins. When you're from a poor family you can't afford to update your clothes often and I had to keep my clothes until they began to tear or were too small to even put on. It was never my parents' fault, if anything it was mostly mine but either way it was never pleasant. I got in trouble often for coming to school in casual wear when I couldn't fit into my uniform because they'd gotten too small. I got bullied a lot, even before it was evident that I couldn't afford new clothes. I still don't know why, but it got a lot worse, obviously." I mumbled the last word as I sat slouched in my seat. My back ached from sitting there for too long, my long black hair tickled the back of my hands which rested uncomfortably on my lap, I looked down at them, the jet blackness of my hair was in direct contrast with my almost porcelain skin, I'm sure it was the same with my dark eyes, whose reflection I caught as I turned to gaze out of the window, I could feel the doctors eyes burning into me; I hated eye contact so I avoided it and stared at my reflection in the window, shocking even myself at how uncomfortable and bemused I looked. My fringe had gotten long, I had a box fringe that now almost covered my eyes so that only the bottom of my dark eyes were visible, a shadow was cast over my nose from the fringe making me look ever so shady. I'd bothered doing my make-up today which was out of character for me, or at least for me when I'm only attending a session. Obviously the doctor picked up on this when I entered and bothered me about it for at least fifteen minutes, it's amazing how changing your lip colour to a shade similar to dark red wine can excite a psychiatrist to the extent it did, thank god she didn't notice my dark eye-shadow, she'd have a field day. One thing they always liked to pick at was how I dressed that day, so you can imagine what they thought when they realized all I wore was black, I don't do it because I'm depressed, even though I am, I do it because I don't like colour or look good in it and I just like the gothic style, but they don't get that; walk in one day in a pair of platform boots and ripped fishnets and your subject to mental probing for the next hour.

The doctor in front of me frowned and scribbled on her clipboard. I hated counselors, hated them. Their stony features their blatant lack of any humor, yet I was forced to attend. I don't know how many times I had to repeat the same stories to them over and over. I sat up in my seat and folded one leg over the other.

"Kids can be so cruel" She said whilst still scribbling on her clipboard. I scoffed, she was supposed to be a professional psychologist yet she was mumbling about it like it was just a normal school yard tiff. She made it seem like some loud mouthed stupid kid had skipped past me one day and called me smelly and it had landed me in these meetings until I was 21, she just couldn't grasp how much it had screwed me up.

"Cruelty isn't the word in my opinion." I mumbled, not thinking. They loved this; they loved when you played with words, when you chose one rather than another. They thought it would tell them everything about you, I often try not to give them the bait but sometimes it slips.

"Oh?" she began, biting right down on the hook "what word would you use Lily?" she put her clipboard face down on her laps and folded her hands over it looking at me over her glasses, brushing her frizzy red hair behind her ear. I sighed and rolled my eyes

"There isn't one." I shuffled up in my seat again having slid into a slouch again. "Shall I continue or are we done for today?" I brushed my fringe back and she glanced at me over her glasses.

"That's enough for today I think, thank you Lily." I got up sighing and smoothed out my clothes

"It's a pleasure as always." I said sarcastically and excused myself. I know it might seem like I'm being unreasonably rude but for five years I've spend my Friday nights in this same room, at this same time, with a different person every single week! It works in a loop, a different doctor every week for about ten weeks, then back to doctor one who asks about my progress and I have to tell them, absolutely nothing. They all ask about my story, which takes a full meeting and rather than passing on the notes to the next doctor in the cycle I'm pretty sure they just chuck them in the bin so when the next doctor comes along THEY then need to know my story. After so many sessions, they've barely even scratched the surface.

I swung my bag over my shoulder and headed out of the door of the clinic and began walking down the street. I took my phone out and started looking through my calendar. No plans until Monday when I have work. In all good honesty I didn't really care that my sessions were on a Friday afternoon, I had no friends to spend them with. It was just something I could complain about, I don't excessively complain with everything, just counseling for reasons which I have already explained. To me, those meetings are pointless, and they might work for some people but after five years they haven't for me and I know that the doctors know that, but they still make me go.

I was institutionalized when I was sixteen and put under around the clock suicide watch, for reasons which should be fairly obvious.

I noticed there was nobody on the streets so I checked my watch, ten past. It was getting close to the 'ghost hour' I rolled my eyes and continued on my journey a couple of months ago these things started showing up, shadowy figures that looked a little like people. Everyone started to get excited about it, everyone but me. I've never lost anyone; really you can't lose what you never had. The whole affair almost made me wish I had lost someone, so I could be excited about something, like everyone else. I lowered my eyes, as they appeared I tried not to see them; not because of fear but because of envy. Envy of them and envy of the people they came for.

I walked through a field outside of the Powell Estate; I lived in a small flat there. Nothing glamorous, not even something average. It was pretty tiny and dingy but I couldn't afford to decorate or move. I hated my job, it was depressing, boring with shitty pay but not many people want to hire a recently 'released' lunatic. I had my head buried in a game I'd downloaded onto my phone, a good start to the weekend I'd spend playing the Xbox alone in my flat, there's no denying it. My existence is a sad, lonely one.

I was half way through the field when I stopped after my train of thought came to a devastating crash. I'd been thinking about my job, my home, my life. I thought about how much I'd hated everything for so many years how miserable I was with my day to day life and how unlikely it was I would ever make something of myself. Again, who wants to hire a lunatic? I dropped my gaze, I knew I was just standing in the middle of a field, with no one but those shadowy beings orbiting me, I must have looked odd, but it didn't matter to me. I looked at one of the ghosts; there was no negativity about it, no concern, no regret, and no sadness. I envied it so much. I was thinking, why was I still here? Really, why? Have no family or friends, hardly any money, I so really, what was the point? It occurred to me then, why did I think I was compelled to go to those meetings? I was a twenty one year old woman it was my choice, but why did it take me this long to realize it? Why has it taken me this long to realize my life is in my own hands? Because doctor after doctor has been telling me over and over for five years that it's 'naughty'?

Suddenly I felt enraged, my fists clenched and my heart began racing. I'd become brainwashed by those doctors and only now am I coming back to myself. I suddenly felt as if I'd been tricked, as if I was lead to believe I was someone's friend and equal, only having been manipulated into slavery and kept in an invisible cage. They'd began controlling me as a patient, making me believe my suicidal tendencies were gone when really they just made me bury it deep within me, made my thoughts so shallow I wouldn't find myself thinking of it anymore. I clutched my head, I felt violated, and for a moment it physically felt like there was a parasitic worm squirming through my thoughts placed there by those doctors. But none of it worked.

I pulled my purse out of my bag in a sudden rush; I opened it and counted quickly what was left of my pay. Not a lot. I remember that money was supposed to be for bills and rent but after today none of that would matter because at that moment, I'd decided I didn't want to be a part of this world anymore.

I turned on my heels and began walking fast, almost running. I could no longer see anything around me, I was almost entranced. I made my way to the local chemist, the ghosts began to fade, it had only been two minutes since they appeared and so much had passed through my mind. I walked into the chemists and bought as many bottles of sleeping pills as the chemist would allow, then headed to the supermarket and bought as many there as the employees there would allow, by the end of it I'd bought about twenty bottles, I didn't know if I was being excessive or not, I just didn't want to wake up. I looked in my purse once more, obviously I'd used up most of my money but there was just enough left for the one thing I wanted and needed most, a bottle of vodka.

After my purchases I walked home, my bag bashing my leg as I hurried. I was oddly excited, I couldn't wait yet half way home as I came to the huge field I began crying silently. I made no noise but tears came, first slowly but then more and more followed and they began to flow freely and quickly. Kept my head down so if someone was passing they wouldn't see. I wasn't embarrassed; I was just worried some kind soul would stop me out of concern. I didn't want any more time to think about it. I had made up my mind.

As I was nearing the end of the field it had gotten to the point where I'd zoned out completely and was on auto pilot. Not paying attention to where I was going I thumped into something and fell, my bag leaving my hands as I did. I wouldn't have fallen if I was paying attention, but the shock literally knocked me back. I gasped looking up noticing the object I'd bumped into was a young woman, a young woman who looked like she was in the middle of something important. I felt an awful pang of guilt and shame as her and her two friends looked at me.

I recognized the young woman and her mother, they lived not far from me and I went to school with her unfortunately their names escaped me, she wasn't one of the kids that bullied me, she was actually really quiet. She had shoulder length blond hair and dark eyes; she was dressed casually and looked friendly. Her mother just looked like an older version of her daughter, her hair was damaged from bleaching and was pulled back into a ponytail unlike her daughter her eyes were a blue/green shade and her face was tired from age, she looked extremely bemused, I hoped I wasn't to blame for that.

As for the strange man with them, I couldn't define his features from where I was, I'm short sighted and he was quite a distance away, I could make out dark hair and as he came closer I noticed dark eyes. I stammered as I got to my knees and began scooping my items back into my bag, I sniffed and tried to discreetly wipe my eyes.

"I'm so, so sorry. I-I wasn't watching where I was going. I- I'll just get out of your way… sorry…"


	2. Session 2: The Doctor

The girl knelt down to help me with my items and smiled.

"It's fine, I'm not the one who fell over." She smiled when she said it but her smile dropped when she noticed what my items consisted of, she looked at me and I'm certain she could tell I'd been crying "Are you alright?" she asked sofly placing a hand on my shoulder, I wanted to shy away from her but I didn't have the heart, it just seemed rude and I couldn't be rude to someone who was being so nice. I faked a smile but I felt my eyes welling up again, by this point the gentleman with them had came over and was asking the same questions.

"Dear oh dear that was quite a collision, everyone OK?" He asked, his tone was merry and lyrical. I looked up at him too trying to smile, but when he caught my eye something changed in his face. We maintained eye contact, not even aware we were staring at each other, it was… odd to say the least. I looked at him and it was like… I don't know… like I was familiar with him… like I'd known him for years and judging by the look on his face I know he was trying to figure me out too.

I snapped out of it and smiled at the girl again, well… as best I could.

"Thank you, I'm fine. Thank you for your help and I'm sorry to interupt." I got up shakily picking up my bag, my smile was about as shakey as me. "Sorry again, I should've been paing attention." I began heading off after she'd muttered the usual 'no problem' not sure of what else to say I lowered my gaze again. I could feel the gentleman still staring but I ignored it. I heard the young woman mutter after I left

"did you see what was in her bag?". After she said that I was out of earshot, but the discussion between herself and the man continued.

"Do you know her?" She asked having no response from him after her first question. She shook his arm to break his gaze on me and he looked at her as if he'd forgotten he was with other people, he looked back for me but by this time I'd turned the corner onto my estate. He began following me which I was very unaware of at the time. The girl followed, he looked over his shoulder at her whilst walking. "what about the ghosts?" she replied looking back to her mother who looked even more confused.

"The ghosts can wait this is more important and as for knowing her no" he began speeding up slightly, almost as if he knew of my intentions "do you?". He asked, there was a sense of urgency in his voice the woman couldn't place, I think she knew what I was planning, but didn't understand quite why the gentleman cared so much, she knew him for being a hero but he acted as if this held more importance than any regular heroic act.

"Yeah, kind of" She was rushing trying to keep up "She lives around here… really quiet. I went to school with her too"

"Do you know where her house is?" He stopped and looked around urgently, the woman almost bumped into him.

"More or less… I know the street" She was suddenly picking up the urgency herself, whatever this was about it must have been important or the gentleman wouldn't care so much. She hurried ahead and lead him to the street. He started muttering to himself as he looked around.

"Door, door, door, door…" he caught me struggling to find my keys and rushed over. I spotted them coming over as I turned to sit on my doorstep having concluded that I'd lost my keys. I was confused. I stood up and backed into the door slightly not knowing what to do.

"Oh good! Good, good, good, good good, we caught you!" he called to me leaning on a fence near my door. I looked around concerned.

"Umm… whats wrong?" I asked nervously, my bag leaning on my leg.

He puffed and panted trying to catch his breath, he was smiling which for some reason calmed me down but I was still nervous.

"We need to have a chat." I just looked at him, my mouth opening and closing like a fish as I tried to figure out what to say, he picked up on this. "Sorry, where are my manners? I'm The Doctor, this is Rose. Whats your name?"

"The Doctor?" I responded confused, why hadn't he told me his name?

"No I'm the Doctor" he said jokingly "What's _your_ name?" I looked at his female friend who I now knew as Rose, she was smiling. This was EXTREMELY weird.

"Lily… I'm Lily…" I began fidgeting like a nervous child and he began talking to me as such.

"Lily… Lovely. I seem to be surrounding myself with flowers, don't I Rose?" He looked at his companion who was stood behind him, she just smiled in response. "Well then Lily, aren't you going to invite us in?" I mentally jumped when he asked this. My keys! I'd forgotten about my keys! And my bag, all of my plans. This was exactly what I didn't want to happen but I felt… like I needed to do just as he asked. I stammered in response

"Well… I uh… I would but… my keys… they're… well… not here." Even after saying this, I thought I'd play it safe and have another look in my pockets, bag, purse. The Doctor only smiled.

"No worries!" He took something out of his pocket and took a step closer to the door "may I?". I stepped aside unsure of what he was doing but there was something about him, I could trust him. There was no 'I suppose' or 'maybe' or 'what ifs' I could trust him, that was it. I watched him hold some kind of glowing pen to the door handle, it made some kind of… what can only be described and a sonic white noise type sound which was followed by the click of the lock on my door. I was shocked, but when I turned to look at Rose, she just smiled, comletely unphased. I heard him turn the handle and I quickly turned my head to see. It was at that I remembered I live in a pig sty, not because it's messy but because it's a cheap flat. I looked at him and he looked right back at me.

"Sorry I hope you don't think 'm being rude?" He asked when he saw the concern in my eyes. I shifted nervously and lowered my voice, cheeks turning red just having to mention it.

"It's not that it's just… umm…" He waited patiently for me to finish my sentence, I lowered my voice even further " It's not very nice on the inside." His face lit up as he smiled at my comment, confusing me as always.

"Trust me, I've seen much worse." He turned the handle and opened the door taking one look inside and then looking back at me. "Five stars in my opinion. Ladies first" He held the door further open and allowed Rose and I through the door before him. "Oh Lily! Your bag…" He picked up my bag for me and his tone from picking it up changed when he caught a glimpse of the contents, he seemed disappointed… almost hurt. I squeezed past Rose in the narrow hallway and thanked him. I excused myself into the kitchen and sighed as I placed my bag on the table, trying not to take too long I walked back into the hallway and sheepishly lead the pair to my tiny living room. There wasn't much in there, basic wooden floor and white walls, black leather two and three-seater sofa set and an OK TV set, Xbox 360 and laptop, a few DVD's and games with a very simple digital TV Box so I had very few channels. Rose sat on the two person sofa and looked at the Doctor. I could only assume they were a couple so I took my lonely place on the three person sofa so they could sit together, to my surprise the doctor came and sat by me. I turned to see him beaming brightly, it could have lit up the room.

"Oh Lily, lovely, lovely Lily… you have no idea how good it is to meet you!" He was very excited, smiling constantly. His smile was lovely. I was flattered but extremely confused, I hadn't stopped being confused since he first said a word to me.

"Um… it's good to meet you too Doctor" I'd just noticed how close we were sat, our knees brushed at one point and I felt my face burn up. His face dropped and he shuffled in his seat turning to face me more.

"You don't know why. Oh I can't believe this you really don't know… maybe… maybe" He started mumbling to himself, too quietly for me to hear "maybe that's why your survived! Yes, that's it! Or at least I hope that's why… Rose!" He shouted Rose's name, not angrily but excitedly, however both of us still jumped. "I need you to go back to the tardis, ask your mum about the next ghost shift, this is huge." Rose got up, she nodded but she looked hurt. Was I stealing her boyfriend away? Well there was no doubt that she thought I was. I offered to walk her out but she politely declined and I sat back down with the Doctor.

"Doctor… what are you talking about?" I said as nicely as I could he smiled and took my hand.

"I've been looking for you for so long! You… Lily… you are the same as me"

"What are you?" I asked almost in a whisper, I was confused at first but suddenly… I felt scared.

"I told you. I'm the Doctor." He smiled as he said it, my heart began pounding from fear and anticipation, I leaned in a tiny bit closer and whispered, terrified.

"What else?"


	3. Session 3: Self Awareness

"I was hoping you'd ask that" he said smiling "I'm a Time Lord, I come from the planet Gallifrey in the constellation of Kasterborous and you… you Lily, do too. Time Lady" I was speechless, I didn't know exactly what I meant apart from the part where he said he was from another planet… and that I was too.

"I-I don't understand." I stammered and he smiled

"But you want to know more anyway?" When he said it, it wasn't a question he knew I wanted to know more.

"I-I need you to explain this. It makes no sense" I shook my head as I said it closing my eyes. He put his hand on my shoulder and smiled warmly

"Alright." I sighed and sat back, as did he. "I've been alone for so many years I suppose I can spare a few minutes explaining" I remained silent and waited for him to start explaining "You see there is, or more suitably used to be, a species of humanoids called Time Lords living on the planet Gallifrey. We have a non-linear perception of time that allows us to see everything that was, is and ever could be at the same time; from this we developed machines, space ships, time machines. Tardises!" By this point the Doctor was out of his seat, excitedly moving around the room as he spoke quickly and joyfully, he was using his hands a lot, moving them around as he spoke, I noticed his voice getting gradually louder as he got more excited. "We're supposed to monitor time and prevent it from being abused, or well until they were all wiped out apart from me… and now you… my lovely, lovely little Lily!" he laughed and clapped his hands once jumping up. He sighed and clapped his hands together once before rubbing his hands together still beaming "Right! Any questions?"

I watched him for a second, then lowered my eyes. Part of me wanted to believe him, just because his story was so magical, like a fairytale and it would mean a new life for me, I could actually mean something. But then, it was just so ridiculous, I'd be insane to believe it… I mean, I'd lived my whole life… twenty one years old and I'd never seen the past or future, I'd never seen a space ship or even believed time travel could be possible. This was insane, this man was insane. So why hadn't I kicked him out yet?

"Because you know it's true." I looked at him shocked, for a second I'd thought I'd gone insane. I was certain I'd thought that rather than said it. How could he possibly know what I was thinking? "Because Time Lords can hear each other's thoughts" He said sitting down on the two person sofa smirking at me. I looked at him, he wasn't lying. He was reading my thoughts and responding to them.

"Stop that." I said looking at him with a furrowed brow. He bowed his head smirking

"Sorry. I'll stop" he said, he was watching me intently. I knew he was still listening to my thoughts. He wanted to hear for himself what I thought of what he was saying. I didn't care; still I always found it easier to either say what I'm thinking out loud or write my thoughts down. They seem clearer that way which makes it easier to draw conclusion from them.

"Yes, you can hear my thoughts; you've made that very clear. But you said… I mean… I was born here on earth. I had parents, I went to school…" I was so confused my head was beginning to hurt, the Doctor just smiled.

"You think you're just twenty one don't you?" I looked at him, almost as if begging him to not tell me the truth right now; it was a lot of information to take in. Even if it wasn't true. "You're actually eight hundred and seventy nine years young. Not much younger than myself I must say" I was watching him, waiting for him to answer the rest of my questions, wanting to address my apparent old age later. He smiled picking up on this. "As for your parents, well the most obvious answer would be they're not your parents." He waited to see how I'd take the news and when I didn't at all react he just dismissed it and carried on. "And as for the school thing well, the best explanation for that is, you truly believed you were a school girl, so you projected that image to the cells that make up your body, therefore everyone saw you as that. When your perceived age caught up with your physical age the projection stopped. It's a rare ability and you won't be able to use it again, since the only time you did use it… well you didn't know you were using it which is the trick and that can't really be simulated. Had I not met you today you would have kept projecting that image onto your cells, you would have found out eventually because you would just continue perceiving yourself as older and older but you wouldn't die, which might be a bit of a giveaway that you're not exactly human" I sighed and bit my lip.

"What about before that? Why can't I remember the other eight hundred and fifty eight years of my life?" He smiled at me

"That's what I aim to find out" I sighed and he raised an eyebrow. "You still don't truly believe me do you?" I shrugged and looked at him.

"If you were me, would you?" I asked softly, he came and sat next to me again.

"I'll prove it." I looked up at him after hearing him say that, he was smiling. He always seemed to be smiling.

"How?"

"I'll take you to the stars, I'll fly you around all the suns of the universe three times each." I felt my heart flutter and my cheeks heat up.

"Be careful Doctor some might think you were trying to be romantic"

"Others wouldn't complain" He winked and I laughed

"You know I journey like that would take forever." I said bringing a disappointing reality to our little fairytale. The doctor only beamed wider.

"What a coincidence, we have forever." I gasped and looked away, was he flirting or… I don't know… I'm not good with people… "I'll have to teach to you talk to me through thought. You don't seem to know how." I smiled and shook my head.

"I don't, but if we have forever you can teach me on our trip." I smiled, feeling like a child being told a fairytale. Still, everything seemed so strange but who would it hurt to just play along, if only for a few days? The Doctor got up again and sighed.

"Well our trip will have to wait for now Lily, I have some things to do here first" I got up myself straightening my jeans out and watching him having decided I'd play along. I grabbed his sleeve before he could leave the room, he looked at me.

"This is crazy, you know that don't you?" I looked up at him, he only smiled and turned on his heel walking off, I followed quickly.

"I know" he said calmly "don't worry you'll get used to it" I followed him into the corridor and sighed, I had so many questions circulating in my head all of which he clearly had no time to answer, he stopped at the front door and looked at me. "You never did find your key did you?" I snapped out of my daydream and sighed holding back a curse

"No, I didn't." I began automatically rummaging through my pockets for them again he stopped me.

"No worries you won't need them anymore"

"Oh God…" I responded, he walked out of the front door and I followed, I just seemed to lose control of my legs, they were making the decisions now and they wanted to follow. I followed him outside to find him stood still right outside my door we both looked at a street dotted with ghosts, guess the next shift had started.

"They're everywhere" he said confused and thoughtfully, at this point Rose came running up to us.

"Doctor you have to hurry before the shift ends!" She turned quickly and ran in the direction she came, the doctor soon followed leaving me stood ever baffled in the doorway.

"This is crazy…" I whispered to myself. The Doctor turned around after getting half way down the street and noticing I wasn't following him anymore. He moved his hands in a way that told me he was hurrying me, expecting me to follow.

"Come on then!" He shouted. I almost jumped as I snapped out of my train of thought, I closed the door behind me mumbling as I did

"This is crazy!" I clicked the door handle shut and ran after them through seas of ghosts.


	4. Session 4: Companionship

I caught up with them as they returned to the huge field I met them in, it was only now I noticed the strange contraption they'd lain out on the ground before I'd, quite literally, bumped into them.

"What is this?" I asked quietly as I approached the device. I stood over it gazing intently down. I was speaking mainly to myself but of course the Doctor answered in a musical tone.

"Oh you'll love this!" he said smiling brightly, this was already tiring. I let out a small whimper as I watched him, even though I'd only left my house five minutes ago I needed to sit down, this was… great. The Doctor was speaking to Rose as I circled the device studying it carefully; I wasn't paying attention to what they were saying until the Doctor called my name. "Lily!" I turned to look at him; Rose was still stood by his side. I admit it was a little upsetting. In the few moments the Doctor and I were alone I felt we had huge chemistry, I'd almost forgot about Rose. "You might want to stand back." He suggested smiling lightly, I quickly ran over to join them, Rose ran into a nearby police box which began making amazing noises, I wanted to follow but the Doctor stopped me while smiling "Trust me Lily, you don't want to miss this!" He smiled at me and then looked over his shoulder at Rose who was in the police box. "What's the line doing?" He shouted over the magnificent whirrings and buzzing of the machine.

"It's alright, it's holding!" She yelled back. I watched the machine, sparks began to flicker on it and I looked up at the Doctor who was watching my reaction.

"What are you thinking Lillian?" He asked using my full name for the first time, which was unusual. I looked back at the device.

"Don't you already know?" I asked confused, wasn't he reading my thoughts earlier.

"Well you don't know how to communicate with me without speaking yet, so obviously you can't control when you leave your thoughts open to read and when you don't. They aren't open now but when we were in your flat I couldn't seem to get your thoughts out of my head" He smiled as he said the last part, I just blushed bright red.

"The scanner's working, it says "delta one six." Came Rose's voice from the police box, wait scanner? My train of thought came to a pause as I thought more about that police box; what was in there?

"Come on you beauty!" the Doctor cackled positively while jiggling with anticipation.

"What are we doing?" I finally asked, or shouted above the ever increasing noise.

"We're going to catch a ghost!"

"What?" I said shocked, I heard him perfectly clearly despite the noise but… catch a ghost! How does someone even start going about that? Just as I was about to question him I saw it, a ghost showed up in the centre of the device within mere moments a blue pyramid encased it. "Incredible…" I said to myself, I tried to take a step closer but the Doctor held me still.

"Now, now Lily… patience…" The Doctor then took out what appeared to be a pair of 3D glasses and put them on, he never took his eyes off the ghost. He knelt down and began adjusting something on the device causing a green light to flash, he continued to adjust it and the ghost began to shudder and groan.

"My God…" I said watching intently, I knelt down on the grass afraid my legs could no longer hold me up. It was at that moment, watching him, seeing him do what he was doing and being so comfortable, so familiar. I knew I wasn't just playing along with a mad man for a few days of fantasy before my life ended. He was telling the truth, the truth about who he is, and maybe even who I am. I began to think, if this was happening to me months ago… before the ghosts; I would have passed out. But then maybe I was getting ahead of myself, he could just be a mad scientist… not like that's much better than a time traveler but it is a little more believable. I was broken out of my thoughts by the sound of his laughter.

"Don't like that much, do you?" He was mocking the ghost, I watched dumbfounded, I wanted to scream and run away but at the same time scream and jump up and down and laugh and whoop and celebrate the madness of it all, who knows, maybe I was going mad myself? "Who are you? Where are you coming from?" he continued, I tipped forwards so I was on my hands and knees, and leaned as far forward as I could without disturbing him, curious as to what was happening now. Just as I was about the same distance away from the pyramid as the Doctor he was propelled back by an unseen force, what I can only assume was an electric shock.

"Doctor!" I hurriedly got up and ran to where he landed, he sat up on his own but my concern pushed me to try and help, I touched him as if he might just disappear into dust if I pressed too hard. "Doctor are you alright?" He touched my hand reassuringly and looked at me, I caught his eyes, gorgeous brown… amazing

"Beautiful…" I heard him say, I thought I might have dreamt it, I shook my head and looked at him again.

"Sorry… did you say something Doctor?" I asked and he looked astounded.

"No…" He looked back at the ghost quickly changing the subject smiling, sounding a lot more triumphant "Not so friendly NOW are you?" He shouted at the ghost. He continued to watch the ghost shudder which gave me a moment to think, maybe he didn't say anything. I didn't remember seeing his lips move, but I definitely heard him say it, maybe… maybe I was hearing things now too.

I was broken out of my trance with a sudden sound of cluttering and clanking of metal. When I looked up at the Doctor the ghost had vanished and the Doctor was quickly gathering up all of the machinery. He held most of it under his arm leaving his hands more or less free, he ran towards the police box grabbing my hand and pulling me to my feet as he darted past. The sudden speed at which he was working made me extremely nervous and he lifted me to my feet so quickly I was worried they wouldn't respond quickly enough, fortunately they did but before I could even notice it he'd pulled me into the police box and shut the door behind us. The Doctor was still running around excitedly, making a lot of noise and talking loudly but once I had a chance to look around inside that magical police box for the first time there was stillness. I couldn't hear him or anyone else around me, just my own heart beating rapidly and my astonished breathing, I looked around the magical place in which I now stood. No words would come, I just stood in utter awe and couldn't help but wonder why it had taken this amazing man so long to come into my life, and whisk me away to the stars.

"Lily!" He called suddenly, I jumped and he smiled at the new found shimmer of awe in my dark eyes. "Hold on." Was all he said after, but before I had a chance he pulled a lever and the police box shuddered, I stumbled and could vaguely hear the Doctor and Rose talking, but it was a dull murmur. Not because I'd gone deaf but because I wasn't listening, still awe struck by my surroundings. "Lily." He said more gently this time he smiled when I finally snapped out of it noticing not only Rose but her mother. The Doctor extended his hand to help me up which I accepted. "What do you think?" He asked as I got to my feet.

"Wow." I responded quietly, he smiled at me and I smiled back, we stayed like this not noticing we were staring and that he hadn't let go of my hand yet. I wasn't exactly complaining though.

"Doctor" Rose interrupted our 'staring contest' "You might want to come look at this" when I looked at her she was staring at a monitor in the middle of the giant room, it was also only at this point the Doctor and I both realized we were holding hands. We both looked at our hands then at each other and awkwardly let each other go. He walked over to the monitor and stood beside Rose, I tried to squeeze in between them to look too and to my surprise the Doctor moved aside and let me in front of him. There was a large group of soldiers, shouting soldiers, with guns.

"Oh my word…" was my only reaction. I turned to look at the Doctor and he smiled

"Oh, well there goes the advantage of surprise. Still! Cuts to the chase." He looked at Rose still wearing his smile, but there was something about it… he seemed… well… kind of worried, but not worried, it was hard to tell. "Rose" he began "Stay in here, look after Jackie."

"I'm not looking after my mum!" She responded while following him. I, like her mother, could only watch the interaction; clearly neither of us expected to get a word in edgeways.

"Well you brought her!" The Doctor argued. I felt quite awkward, almost like I was present during a couples tiff.

"I was kidnapped!" Jackie finally said indignantly, finally decided to get a word in. I however, remained silent.

"Lily" The Doctor changed the subject choosing to ignore Jackie and Rose, I looked at him in response and he continued. "Remember I told you about Tardises?" He asked and I nodded in response "Well, you're standing in one" he said while smiling, I wasn't surprised, how could I be? Nothing would surprise me after this. The Doctor made for the door but Rose blocked it

"Doctor, they've got guns." She said warningly

"And I haven't" he responded cheerfully "Which makes me the better person, don't you think?" He moved her smoothly out of the way by the waist. "They can shoot me dead, but the moral high-ground is mine." With that he opened the door and goes through, all three of us then ran to the door and watched closely through the gap. He raised his hands and all of the soldiers released the safety catches on their guns, all of which were pointed at the Doctor. At this point a woman ran into the room hurriedly, making her way towards the Doctor.

"Oh...! Oh, how marvelous!" she said excitedly, almost cooing like a fan-girl. She began to applaud which was very odd "Oh, very good. Superb. Happy day!" The soldiers copied her and applauded the Doctor, he slowly lowered his hands very confused.

"Um. Thanks. Nice to meet you. I'm... the Doctor." The Doctor responded unsure of exactly what was happening, I don't think anyone knew apart from the strange blonde lady applauding him. At this response they all begin clapping again.

"Oh, I should say! Hurray!" The woman responded again, my brows furrowed as I watched this strange interaction alongside Rose and Jackie, the Doctor seemed just as confused.

"So you've heard of me then?" He said hesitantly, the woman didn't respond to the Doctors confusion or hesitance, she didn't even seem to notice it.

"Well of course we have. And I have to say, if it wasn't for you, none of us would BE here. The Doctor AND the TARDIS...!" She exclaimed. This woman came across to me as very VERY creepy. Overcome she begins applauding again and despite how odd she seemed to anyone else the Doctor seemed as if he was beginning to enjoy it, after a moment he gestures for silence.

"And… and you are?" He questioned. The woman only beamed.

"Oh, plenty of time for that. But according to the records, you're not one for travelling alone. The Doctor and his companion. That's a pattern isn't it, right?" The Doctor remained silent and the woman suddenly turned a lot more sinister "There's no point hiding anything. Not from us." She smiled "So where is she?" The Doctor hesitated but soon responded re-adopting his lyrical tone.

"... Yes! Sorry. Good point. She's just a bit shy, that's all." He opened the Tardis door feeling around for who I can only assume was Rose, instead he grabbed me and I was dragged to the other side of the door. I don't think I was what he intended to catch but he certainly didn't show it on his face. "but here she is! Lillian Halidae!" He looked at me up and down then turned back to the woman. "Not the best I've ever had, bit weird. Not sure of those piercings or those tattoos." He was talking about my nose ring, I also had a few tattoos but nothing too big or too weird… or so I thought anyway. "And she dresses very oddly too but hey, other than that she's nice to look at!" I glared at him and elbowed him in the ribs he smiled and rubbed where I'd shoved him, the woman raised her eyebrow, the Doctor continued "and as you can see full of life." He gave me a slight glare because of the shove and I just raised my eyebrow. He turned back to the woman and smiled "keeps me on my toes."

"Funny" the woman began, "our latest records show you travelled with a young woman going by the name of Rose Tyler" I tensed and so did he, I could feel his grip on my arm as he did. He smiled,

"Yes well, bit of an incident a few weeks ago, stared into the heart of the Time Vortex and aged fifty-seven years." I looked at him as he told the story, I could swear I heard a voice in the Tardis say 'I'm 40' but I don't think the woman noticed it. "Had to trade her in unfortunately, then Lily came along. Like I said, bit weird, but she'll do." I glared up at him again but he didn't notice "anyway! Lead on!" He said cheerfully. The woman turned to lead us away and the Doctor pulled me along with him, I looked at him and hissed loud enough so only he could hear.

"That's rich! The man who lives in a magic police box calling ME weird!"


	5. Session 5: Torchwood

We were lead through a doorway and into a white corridor, it reminded me a lot of a hospital but this had a sinister feel about it, I couldn't have been more uncomfortable.

"It was only a matter of time until you found us." Began the woman "And at last you've made it. I'd like to welcome you, Doctor." She pushed through a set of doors which opened into a giant factory floor buzzing with activity and dotted all around with strange devices none of which I'd ever seen before in my life and many white coated scientists tinkering them. "Welcome… to Torchwood." The woman announced proudly, I looked up at the Doctor to gauge his reaction, I felt like if I looked at him and he was smiling I might be able to salvage some comfort from his ease but when I looked his brows were furrowed together and his eyes set on one piece of machinery. The great discomfort I'd felt in the corridor, compared to what I was feeling at that moment in that huge factory. Well, it seemed miniscule at best.

"That's a Jathar Sunglider" the Doctor said monotonously while staring at a huge piece of machinery.

"Came down to Earth off the Shetland Islands ten years ago." The blonde woman smiled, again proudly.

"What, did it crash?" Asked the Doctor sounding concerned. I had a sinking feeling in my stomach when I looked at the giant machine and pictured it crashing, despite what was inside, it must have been horrific.

"No, we shot it down." The blonde woman stated. I felt my stomach flip and turn when she said this, and to say it so casually… "It violated our airspace. Then we stripped it bare. The weapon that destroyed the Sycorax on Christmas Day? That was us!" I looked at this woman, I was making no attempt to hide the utter disgust that I harbored towards her, but she wasn't even looking at me. Every ounce of her focus was on the Doctor. She smiled at him "Now if you'd like to come with me."

The Doctor and I looked t each other as she walked off, I mouthed 'what the hell is this?' but he only responded by mouthing 'don't worry' and took my hand. It may well have been childish, but it made me feel much better. We followed her.

"The Torchwood Institute has a motto: "if it's alien, it's ours". Anything that comes from the sky - we strip it down, and we use it. For the good of the British Empire." At first, while she was speaking, I was focusing mainly on the Doctors hand. The size difference to mine, the way it felt, the way he held mine, it was calming me down but I caught the last few lines of what she said and they where what prompted me to speak up.

"Sorry, the what?" I asked quietly, not giving the woman time to respond, I stated what I thought was an obvious fact. "There is no British Empire." The woman smiled in response but in a way that was as friendly as before.

"Not yet" she said almost maliciously it made my breath catch in my throat, I must have tensed up because I felt the Doctor squeeze my hand, I looked at him and he was giving me a reassuring smile. The woman stopped a passing soldier and took what I can only assume was a weapon from him and looked at the Doctor. "Do you recognize this, Doctor?" she asked showing him the device. He looked at it and then at the woman.

"That's a particle gun." He said plainly, not surprised by anything.

"Good isn't it?" was all she said in response. I leaned in closer to try and have a closer look but the woman pulled it back so I couldn't. I glared at her for her childishness but she ignored me and continued talking to the Doctor. "Took us eight years to get it to work" she said showing off.

"It's the twenty-first century. You can't HAVEparticle guns." The Doctor said acting in no way impressed.

"We must defend our boarder against the alien." She said handing the gun back to the soldier, thanking him. She turned back to the Doctor and began speaking in jargon. I tried to listen and understand but it was all gibber to me, until of course she smirked smugly and uttered "I'm a people person."

I scoffed loudly enough so she could hear and the Doctor shoved me, she glared at me and I only grinned. Maybe I was being reckless but as selfish as it may have been, I didn't like her and I couldn't care less if she killed me. The Doctor and her were talking about a fellow called 'Allonzo' but I wasn't exactly paying attention. He might have mentioned him in the Tardis but obviously I was more interested with how it was bigger on the inside.

"Yvonne. Yvonne Hartman." Said the woman snapping me out of my thoughts, she must have been telling us her name, finally. The Doctor released my hand and pulled a device from a box, he looked it over Yvonne grinned again and began in her show-offy tone "Ah yes. Now, we're rather fond of these. The Magnaclamp. Found in a spaceship buried at the base of Mount Snowdon. Attach this to an object and it cancels the mass. I could use it to lift two tonnes of weight with a single hand. That's an imperial ton, by the way. Torchwood refuses to go metric." The Doctor put the device back and brushed his hands together, Yvonne seemed to be getting frustrated that she was failing to impress the Doctor. She was beginning to get right on my nerves, she was acting like a child fighting for its fathers attention. I was however impressed with the device and the people who built it, NOT her.

"That could help out communities in so many ways… Buildings could even be built by hand" I thought out loud, though I stopped speaking there many, many more ideas were racing through my brain until Yvonne piped up in an annoyingly patronizing voice

"All these devices are for Torchwood's benefit. Not the general public's." I glared at her about to make a remark back to her about her general rudeness and self-obsession. It goes without saying I would have liked to say a good few things that would put her right in her place but the Doctor cut me off. He was looking through a magnifying glass at something when I looked up at him.

"So, what about all these ghosts?" he said casually.

"As yes, the ghosts. They're er... what you might call a side effect." I was getting more and more bored the more this woman spoke, I prayed I wouldn't be here much longer. Though I was a little curious as to what caused the ghosts.

"Of what?" The Doctor asked

"All in good time, Doctor. There is an itinerary, trust me." She responded. At that moment I looked and saw the Tardis being driven off on the back of a truck.

"What the hell are you doing?" I asked shocked.

"If it's alien it's ours" Yvonne responded. I can't explain why I got so angry at this point, but the Doctor grabbed my hand as soon as she said that, maybe afraid I'd do something that would get us shot.

"You'll never get inside it!" The Doctor said as a matter-of-factly, but Yvonne just ignored him, she walked off. We both watched the Tardis and I noticed the door open and Rose peek through it, The Doctor nodded and she disappeared again. Thank god she knew what it meant. We followed Yvonne down a corridor flanked with soldiers.

"All those times I've been on Earth, I'VE never heard of you." He shouted after her.

"But of course not. You're the enemy. You're actually named in the Torchwood Foundation Charter of 1879 as an enemy of the Crown" she responded. I looked at the Doctor, an enemy. Jesus what have I gotten myself into?

"But if I'm the enemy" The Doctor began conversationally "then doesn't that make us your prisoners?" he asked. Yvonne grinned, speaking lightly

"Oh yes." I squeezed the Doctors hand and looked up at him for reassurance, he stroked my hand with his thumb and smiled. We rounded a corner coming face to face with a large black door.

"Don't worry, we'll be fine." He said, but strangely it made me feel no better, not this time. Yvonne must have over heard because she responded to his statement

"Of course you'll be OK, we'll make you perfectly comfortable." She began, she pressed her ID card against a digital lock. "After all, there's so much you can teach us. Staring with this." She opened the door and lead us into a large chamber where a giant bronze looking sphere stood proudly in the centre.

"Now, what do you make of that?" Yvonne said in a final attempt to impress. The Doctor and I both stared, it seemed as if one of the scientists had noticed our arrival.

"You must be the Doctor. Rajesh Singh. It's an honour, sir." He said holding out his hand for the Doctor to shake but the Doctor was too awe stricken to notice.

"Yeah..." The Doctor replied to the young man not really paying attention. The poor fellow lowered his hand sheepishly. I myself was baffled, overcome by... well... everything. You might wonder how a giant ball can render someone so baffled, but there was something wrong with this one, something bad that I just couldn't place.

"What... what in the world is that?" I asked. Yvonne, for once, treating me as an equal responded

"We got no idea."

"But... what's wrong with it?" I asked, wanting to get closer but this thing struck such fear into me I just couldn't move. The young man who previously addressed the Doctor responded this time.

"What makes you think there's something wrong with it?" He asked, I looked at him only for a moment. Not trusting that thing enough to leave it out of myself for a moment.

"You can't feel it?" I asked him, I lowered my voice slightly and squeezed the Doctors hand as my heart began to race "something's just... not right." The Doctor looked down at me with a furrowed brow whilst I gazed up at the sphere deep in thought.

"Well, the sphere has that effect on everyone. Makes you wanna run and hide. Like it's forbidden." Yvonne responded, the fact that others felt the same did not help.

"We tried analyzing it using every device imaginable." Added the young man known as Rajesh, the Doctor pulled out his 3D specs and looked up at the sphere wearing those, I never diverted my eyes from the thing. Though I was listening intently to the people speaking around me. "But - according to our instruments - the sphere doesn't exist. It weighs nothing. It doesn't age. No heat. No radiation. And - has no atomic mass." Rajesh continued. My expression remained ever thoughtful as I murmured in response

"And yet there it is…" I said quietly.

"Fascinating, isn't it? It upsets people because it gives off... nothing. It is... absent." Rajesh responded. I brushed my fringe to the side and rummaged through my handbag which still hung at my side, I pulled out my square framed glasses and looked up at the sphere again once they sat happily on my nose. I was short sighted and I wondered if I could come across some markings or something... anything that perhaps the scientists missed.

"Incredible..." I said, I looked at the Doctor for a second. He showed no emotion.

"Well, Doctor?" Yvonne asked, we all wondered if he could identify this thing before us.

"It's a Void Ship" he responded, I looked around to scout for any look of realisation or familiarity among the faces of the people in the room with us. There was none.

"What's that?" asked Yvonne. I watched everyone in the room despite how uncomfortable I was taking my eyes off of the sphere. The Doctor put his glasses away and began to speak

"Well, it's impossible for starters. I always thought it was just a theory, but... it's a vessel designed to exist outside time and space. Travelling through the Void." He sounded worried. This was enough to cause my knees to collapse, the Doctor caught me and sat me down on a step in the large room, he sat beside me. I was embarrassed. I was trying to be calm and collected and not make the Doctor look bad, but being in the same room as that thing just got to me. On top of everything else that had happened that day, I became dependant on the Doctor telling me it was alright and hearing him worried. It pushed me over the edge. He helped me sit forward as I began to shake, clearly he and everyone else in the room expected me to pass out. Yvonne and Rajesh crowded us, Rajesh knelt beside me and put his hand on my forehead to see if I had a fever, I must have been either pale or bright red.

"Sometimes staying in the same room as the sphere can overwhelm people" He said shining a light in my eye "Do you want to stand outside?" he asked urgently.

"I'm fine" I said waving him away "I've just had... a bit of a weird day."


	6. Session 6: Breaking Down

I shook my head trying to snap myself out of it, Rajesh stood up again and looked back down at the Doctor.

"She'll be fine." The Doctor said. Rajesh nodded and continued with his questions

"So, what's 'The Void'" He asked.

"The space between dimensions. There's all sorts of realities around us, different dimensions - billions of parallel universes all stacked up against each other. The Void is the space in-between. Containing absolutely nothing. Imagine that - nothing. No light, no dark, no up, no down. No life. No time. Without end. My people called it the Void, the Eternals call it the Howling. But some people call it Hell." The Doctor responded. The reactions to that where the same as you'd expect, utter disbelief. I just listened, I could freak out later. OK well... I tried.

"Then it was built to remain in the Void, right?" I questioned "How and why is it here?" Everyone looked at me as I stared blankly at the floor.

"Yes... yes she has a point! How did it get here?" Asked the Doctor looking up at Yvonne, his voice carrying a tone of urgency

"Well, that's how it all started. The sphere came through into this world, and the ghosts followed in its wake." Yvonne replied. The Doctors tone darkened

"Show me" he said trying to slowly help me to my feet, my knees only buckled again. He continued to help "Come on floppy, let's get you up and out of here." He said playfully. Sure enough once I was out of the room it wasn't so bad, obviously after everything that had happened today I was shaken but I had to go on. This was important and I knew it.

Yvonne lead us to a room brash with computer monitors and nothing else, bar a huge white wall at the front of the room, it seemed as if there was a force field around it, there was nothing within about 7ft of it, personally I wouldn't want to be anywhere near it, something about it seemed unstable.

"The sphere came through here. A hole in the world." Yvonne explained.

"So that's why..." I said thinking out loud as the Doctor let me go, making sure I was OK to stand.

"Why what?" asked Rajesh

"Oh" I began not realising anyone was listening. "Well... I'm probably not the only one but it just seems really unsta- Doctor!" I shouted the Doctors name cutting myself off, I noticed he was walking towards it and obviously because of the instability it didn't seem safe. "Don't get too close!" I continued "It's extremely unstable!" he only smiled.

"Impossible" Yvonne started "It's not active at the moment. But when we fire particle engines at that exact spot, the breech opens up." I looked at her still concerned.

"Be that as it may there's still a breech right? Just because it's not open doesn't mean it's safe to poke around!" I began to get panicked, and the urgency in my voice was evident "I feel off balance even standing here! I'm telling you its unstable!" I felt crazy when I was saying it, but the Doctor listened and kept his distance, but then maybe that was just to keep me calm. He looked at Yvonne.

"How did you even find it?"

"Well, we were getting warning signs for years. A radar black-spot. So we built this place. Torchwood Tower. The breech was six hundred foot above sea level. It was on the only way to reach it." I raised an eyebrow at Yvonne's reply. That must have been a pricey action to take. The Doctor put his 3D specs back on.

"So you built a skyscraper? How much money have you got?" He asked picking up on the same points as me.

"Enough" was Yvonne's only response. The Doctor removed his specs and folded his arms staring intently at the wall.

"So, you find the breech, probe it, the sphere comes through. Six hundred feet above London, bam. It leaves a hole in the fabric of reality. And that hole, you think, "oh, shall we leave it alone? Shall we back off? Shall we play it safe?" Nah, you think "let's make it BIGGER!" he asked almost mockingly, I could tell Yvonne was offended.

"It's a massive source of energy. If we can harness that power, we need never depend on the Middle East again. Britain will become truly independent. Look, you can see for yourself. Next Ghost Shift's in two minutes." She explained, leaving the office and heading into the main area.

"Cancel it." The Doctor stated urgently.

"I don't think so" was her only response. I watched carefully as the interaction unfolded.

"I'm warning you, cancel it." He said a lot more aggressively making even me jump yet Yvonne remained unscathed by his anger. She turned to him

"Oh, exactly as the legends would have it. The Doctor, lording it over us. Assuming alien authority over the rights of Man." I was horrified, how could she talk to him like that? The Doctor however seemed less that bothered by it

"Let me show you" he said pulling out his strange light up pen and stands on the other side of the glass partition between Yvonne's office and the main area. "sphere comes through" he said pointing the pen at the glass, it began making that odd sonic noise, suddenly the glass splinters and the crack extends outwards. The Doctor spoke as it continued to do so

"But when it made the hole, it cracked the world around it. The entire surface of this dimension, splintered. And that's how the ghosts get through. That's how they get everywhere. They're bleeding through the fault lines. Walking from their world, across the Void, and into yours. With the Human Race hoping and wishing and helping them along! But too many ghosts, and..." he touched the glass as lightly as possible with a fingertip and the whole thing completely shattered, leaving nothing even in the frames.

"Well, in that case we'll have to be more careful" Yvonne replied blankly, completely ignoring his warnings, she shouted to her staff "Positions! Ghost shift in one minute!" The Doctor didn't stop there, he began trying to persuade her

"Ms Hartman, I am asking you - please, don't do it." He begged pursuing her.

"We've done this a thousand times" She responded, much like a reckless teenager would when in a risky situation.

"Then stop at a thousand!" Pushed the Doctor furiously, getting more and more frustrated.

"We are in control of the ghosts. The levers can open the breech, but equally they can CLOSEit." Yvonne pushed back

"Fine" said the Doctor lightly after a moment of maintained eye contact with Yvonne, he walked off into her office and grabs a chair.

"Sorry?" Yvonne asked confused as to the sudden submission of the Doctor.

"Never mind" The Doctor dismissed her "as you were!"

"What, is that it?" she asked extremely confused as the Doctor got settled in a chair. I was shocked by all of this.

"Doctor!" I exclaimed, shocked that he'd given up. He looked at me.

"No Lily it's fair enough, said my bit. Don't mind me. Any chance of a cup of tea?" He asked almost mockingly.

"Ghost shift in twenty seconds" announced one of the staff

"Mm! Can't wait to see it!" he said with a mock excitement. This made Yvonne suspicious

"You can't stop us Doctor" she said, there was a look of concern and curiosity on her face. I knew what the Doctor was doing and it was a genius yet so simple... it made me think that maybe if any of my doctors where as smart as he was, perhaps I wouldn't have needed five years worth of therapy.

"No, absolutely not!" he said, he looked at me and smiled "Come on Lillian, watch the fireworks with me!" Now that worried me. Did he have to call it 'fireworks'? I tried to look calm but I think my anxiousness was given away by how quickly I trotted over to stand behind him, I admit. I was seeking out protection from him every minute I was in this unfamiliar place.

"Ghost shift in ten seconds... nine... eight " announced the same staff member as before. Yvonne was noticeably uneasy. She stared at the Doctor and he stared back, he raised his eyebrows daring her to go through with it. It was unnerving even me, I had to touch his shoulder just to remind myself he was on my side.

"Seven... six... five... four... three... two..." Came the voice of the staff member in charge of the countdown

"Stop the shift!" Called Yvonne as she gave in "I said stop!" she called again. The Doctor leaned forward in his chair

"Thank you" he said gratefully

"I suppose it makes sense to get as much intelligence as possible. But the program will recommence, as soon as you've explained everything." She said strongly, it seemed like she was trying to mask her submission by making it seem as if she'd made the choice without prompting. The Doctor smiled

"I'm glad to be of help" he said humbly

"And someone clear up this glass!" Yvonne commanded to the room at large, she turned back to the Doctor "They did warn me, Doctor. They said you like to make a mess." She walked into her office taking a seat at her desk with a laptop in front of her. "So these ghosts... or whatever they are... did they build the sphere?" She glares at the Doctor who had kicked his feet up onto her desk and was sitting back in his chair. She let it go this once,

"Must have" he began "aimed it at this world like a cannon ball" He said calmly. Yvonne's computer buzzed and Rajesh flashed up on the screen.

"Yvonne? I think you should see this. We've got some visitors. We don't know who they are, but funnily enough, they arrived at the same time as the Doctor." He said moving aside so the camera showed him, Rose and Jackie. I noticed the Doctors face twitch and Yvonne turned the screen so he could look upon Rose and Jackie for himself

"They yours?" she asked blankly. The Doctor shook his head

"Never seen them before in my life"

"Oh good! Then we can have them shot." Yvonne said darkly. The Doctor quickly sat up.

"Oh alright then! That's Rose Tyler... and er... that's her mum."

"How many people do you travel with now Doctor?" Yvonne asked

"Sorry..." Came Rose's voice from the speakers, she waved sheepishly "hello!"

"Now are you REALLY Lillian Halidae or are you their sister?" Yvonne asked

"No I'm really Lillian Halidae" I pulled out my driver's licence and showed it to her "see" I said casually.

"Please, when Torchwood comes to write my complete history, don't tell people I travelled through time and space with her mother..." The Doctor asked pleadingly

"Charming" responded Jackie on the monitor.

"I've got a reputation to uphold!" The Doctor protested when the sound of machine engines echoed through the building taking us all by surprise. Yvonne stood up.

"Excuse me? Everyone? I thought I said stop the ghost shift." She called out to her staff but they ignored her their eyes remaining glued to their monitors. "Who started the program? But- I ordered you to stop! Who's doing that?" I followed Yvonne's finger which pointed to a lever moving of its own accord. "Step away from the monitors, everyone." They continue to ignore her and she begins to panic "Gareth, Addy - stop what you're doing, RIGHT NOW. Matt. Step away from your desk. That's an order! Stop the levers!"

"Doctor" I said looking to him, he looked down at me and then back at Yvonne. Two scientists rushed over to the lever and tried to stop it as Yvonne ordered them to. The Doctor walked over to a young lady sat in front of a computer typing away, he observed her closely.

"What's she doing?" he pondered to himself. Yvonne marched over and barked at the young woman

"Addy? Step away from the desk!" She ordered. The Doctor clicked his fingers in front of the woman's face but she doesn't respond. "Listen to me. Step away from the desk!" she ordered again

"She can't hear you" said the Doctor thoughtfully, he looks at the computer screen "They're overriding the system"

"Doctor, what's going on?" I asked getting more and more frightened. The Doctor didn't avert his eyes from the screen.

"We're going into the ghost shift"

The light on the wall brightens, The Doctor was staring at the girls earpiece.

"it's the ear piece controlling them, I've seen this before" he took out his pen and stood behind the girl "I'm so sorry" he spoke sincerely. He held the pen to the earpiece and deactivated it. The girl screamed with pain and slumped over the desk. The other two staff members do the same. I gasped and covered my mouth with my hands to stop myself from screaming.

"What did you do to them?" Yvonne demanded

"They're dead." Said the Doctor apparently emotionlessly

"You... you killed them" I said weakly moving my hands down staring at the CORPSES that now lay before me "My God..." The Doctor turned back to the computer

"Oh someone else did that long before I got here." He said seriously, I felt my eyes welling up and I began to whimper. I began to step back from the corpses

"my God..." I whispered again, my sobs becoming evident, he looked at me and rushed over

"No no no no no no no Lily!" he held me by the arms looking right into my eyes "I don't have time for this, I NEED you to stay calm Lily OK?" he said calmly and firmly

"People are dying... Doctor... people are dying!" I said as tears began to roll down my cheeks he shook me a little and wiped the tears away

"Come on Lily you can't freak out on me now! I need you to stay calm its extremely important!" He pulled me into a hug then held me in front of him again looking into my eyes "Everything will be OK just so long as you stay calm! Ok Lily, you have to promise me you'll stay calm!" I was scared but he was right, he got me into this situation and I knew he was the only person who could get me out. I nodded and he smiled "OK good! I promise I'll get you out of this!"

"What are those earpieces?" came the voice of Yvonne

"Don't" the Doctor said stopping her before she touched them

"But they're standard comms. devices - how does it control them?" She asked watching the Doctor as he walked over to another employees computer

"trust me" he said firmly "Just leave them alone"

"But what are they?" I asked finally, I'd stopped crying but my voice still shook.

Yvonne takes hold of the earpiece belonging to the female staff member and pulls it right out of her head, she drops it revolted

"Ugh! Oh God it goes right inside their brain!"

"Oh my word..." I said horrified as I watched her carry out what she was doing

"What about the ghost shift?" asked the Doctor

"Ninety percent there. It's still running. Can't you stop it?" Yvonne responded

"They're still controlling it. They've hi-jacked the system." He responded, I looked over at him after listening to every word said, this was getting crazy, I spoke, my voice shaking.

"Doctor, Who's they?"


	7. Session 7: Promises

The Doctor took out his pen again and held it on the palm of his hand, turning it slowly.

"It might be a remote transmitter but it's gotta be close by. I can trace it." He walks off quickly, it looked as if the pen was leading him around. "Stay there Lily!"

"What?" I exclaimed shuddering at the thought of being left with the corpses "No!" The Doctor didn't respond, I didn't know if he heard me or not but I followed anyway. I followed him down a corridor, Yvonne stopped two passing soldiers and they joined us, I caught up and the Doctor noticed.

"Lily I told you to stay behind!" I smiled huffing and puffing from running to catch up

"And I didn't listen!" I ran a little more so I was now walking alongside him "What kind of gentleman leaves a lady alone with the dead?" I said, I saw him smile slightly. We kept going for a few minutes longer until we reached a curtained area

"What's down there?" The Doctor asked.

"I don't... I dunno, I think it's building work. It's just renovations." Replied Yvonne, the Doctor was staring forward the whole time

"I think you should go back" he began "all of you" he looked over his shoulder at us, particularly at me.

"I didn't listen to you when you said not to follow you the FIRST time." I said smiling "What makes you think it's any different now?" I asked, Yvonne nodded

"Same here, I'm not going anywhere" She followed us gesturing the soldiers to do the same. The Doctor was pushing the curtains aside but paused when his pen began to beep, I thought once the whole thing was over I'd have to ask him exactly what that thing was. "What's down here?" Yvonne asked.

"Ear-pieces, ear-pods, this world is colliding with another. And I think I know which one." He said, his brow furrowed. I jumped when something caught my eye, shadows. They were all around us, I nudged the Doctor who looked up and noticed them too. There was no escape. He pulled me closer to him, I whispered

"What are they?"

"They came through first" he said not answering my question.

A series of robotic hands slit through the curtains, I jumped and grabbed the Doctors arm shrinking down behind him, terrified. He allowed me to do so.

"The advance guard" The robots stepped through the curtains and began marching towards us with ground breaking stomps, I held onto the Doctor tighter wanting to close my eyes and wake up. The Doctor looked at them all fearlessly as the five of us moved closer together as they closed in on us. He spoke darkly, without a hint of fear but anyone who wasn't scared of those things just had to be insane

"Cybermen". The soldiers began firing their bullets at the 'Cybermen' but all in vain, we tried to escape another way but we were surrounded. They'd outnumbered us, they lead us to the room in which the large white wall was with our hands behind our head, when we got through the door the Doctor barked orders

"Get away from the machines - do what they say, don't fight them!" The Cybermen revealed their weapons and shot a scientist down dead. I cringed and looked away whispering weakly

"What are you?"

"We are the Cybermen. The Ghost Shift will be increased to one hundred percent." The Cybermen responded, it pounded its fist on its chest causing a thunderous metallic 'thump' to echo through the room, the lever began moving on its own again and the computer echoed the word 'online' throughout the room and the Doctor whispered as the light brightened

"here come the ghosts" Instead, however, of ghosts rows and rows of Cybermen marched out, my heart sank and my palms turned sweaty. I was almost certain I'd die here, but funnily enough, I didn't want to. Not here, not because of this. Part of me... no every ounce of me, wanted to make it out of here.

"Achieving full transfer" boomed the Cyberman in his robotic voice.

"All of the ghost are Cybermen..." mumbled the Doctor as they continued to march from the light becoming more and more clear "Millions of them. Right across the world."

"They're invading the whole planet" said Yvonne. I looked at her then at the amount of the Cybermen stood before us.

"No..." I began "This is no invasion, look at them all. They've won" I said hanging my head ready to give up. Yvonne looked at the Doctor hoping he'd prove me wrong but he only nodded, the computer then began bleeping 'sphere activated' over and over, the Doctor looked at it with a furrowed brow. He then turned to a nearby Cyberman

"What I don't understand is Cybermen don't have the technology to build the Void Ship, that's WAY beyond you. How did you create that sphere?" he asked

"The sphere is not ours" responded the metal man. The Doctor was stunned

"What?"

"The sphere broke down the barriers between worlds. We only followed. Its origin is unknown." I listened to the robot as it spoke, great so something else is here too now.

"Then what's inside it?" asked the Doctor

"Doctor" Yvonne interrupted "Your friends are still down there" The Doctors face up with a sudden realisation

"What's down there?" I asked the Doctor, fidgeting wildly, tears welling up as I became scared, I kept telling myself not to cry but I couldn't stop. Yvonne put her hand on my shoulder and I continued to speak "What exactly are we up against here, Doctor because I'm getting extremely tired of this now!" As I neared the end of the sentence I began to shout.

"I don't know" was the Doctors only response as he leant against a wall. That did it. My anger quickly turned to fear and I began to cry, sliding to the floor as I did so. The Doctor knelt beside me and I continued to speak "Rose and Jackie and Rajesh... they're all down there Doctor!" He looked at me again and smiled

"Listen Lily, unfortunately you picked a bad day to join me, but it's going to be OK I'll get all of us out of here including you." I put my head in my hands and spoke quietly

"Doctor... you have to promise me something..." I asked weakly

"Of course"

"You have to promise me nobody else will die today" I asked looking up at him with red eyes, he sighed and hugged me

"I promise" he spoke gently and sincerely and I believed him. At this point a Cybermen approached Yvonne who was sat at her desk.

"You will talk to your central world authority and order global surrender." It demanded, she just looked up at him and glared showing no fear.

"Oh, do some research. We haven't GOTa central world authority."

"You have now. I will speak on all global wavelengths." The metal man responded ignoring her rudeness. The Doctor pulled out his 3D specs and puts them on. "This broadcast is for human kind" it continued "Cybermen will remove sex and class and colour and creed. You will become identical. You will become like us." We watched everything happening in the streets below from the windows on the top of the Torchwood tower. The humans were resisting.

"I ordered surrender!" barked the Cyberman, the Doctor glared at them

"They're not taking instructions. Don't you understand? You're on every street - you're in their homes. You've got their children." He glared and spoke angrily "Of course they're gonna fight."

"Scans detect unknown technology active within sphere chamber." Barked one of the Cybermen

"Cybermen will investigate." Came the voice of another. I sat on the floor with my knees pulled up to my chest, I rested my head uncomfortably on my knees, although I don't expect I would have been comfortable lying on the softest bed in the world in this situation. A Cyberman pushed two terrified members of staff in front of them "Units 10 65 and 10 66 will investigate sphere chamber." Another stated.

"We obey!" They all bellowed out, I watched intently as these strange machines carried out their tasks, it was almost as if I was watching a play, part of me was trying to pretend I was. I looked at the Doctor hoping there was anything on his face that would suggest a plan or something, he looked at me and slid down the wall to sit beside me, we were caught in a silence, using only glances to communicate. I don't think any of us knew what to say at first, I don't think any of us felt we should while under the watchful eye of these robotic monsters. I looked down at my feet as the Doctor sighed, breaking the silence.

"I'm sorry." He said quietly and sincerely. I looked at him but he had his eyes glued to the floor.

"For what?" I asked gently. I was surprised at the sound of my own voice, it was quiet and sounded exhausted, tired. Same as me.

"For getting you into this" he began in response "and for not having enough time to speak with you properly"

"That's OK" I sighed and looked back at the floor "really, if I wasn't up here with you I'd be down there with them" I stated nodding towards the people struggling with the Cybermen bellow us. "And I'm sure you can guess who I'd rather be with" I said smiling very lightly. He chuckled slightly, what else could he do?

"Units open visual link!" boomed the voice of one of the Cybermen taking us both by surprise. Yvonne's laptop screen changed to an image of the space occupied by two Cybermen stood in what appeared to be a corridor "Visual contact established!" it said to itself.

"Identify yourself!" Came another robotic voice from the screen, different to the Cybermen's, the Doctor quickly got to his feet staring at the screen. This couldn't be good.

"You identify first!" replied the Cyberman, I myself got to my feet and watched the interaction. There was two Cybermen and what looked like a single pimped out dustbin

"State your identity!" Came the voice again having received no answer.

"You will identify first!" The Cyberman repeated

"identify!" said the other robot again. I looked at the Doctor again, I whispered his name but he didn't hear... I wasn't surprised, it was mostly for my own comfort, reminding myself that he hadn't vanished just because he had fallen silent.

"... illogical, you will modify." Came the end of the Cyberman's sentence as I averted my attention back to the screen

"Daleks do not take orders" barked the dustbin robot in response

"You have identified as Dalek" clarified the Cyberman giving the robot dustbins a name

"Outline resembles the INFERIOR species known as 'Cybermen'" responded the Dalek. They were really laying into each other. The Doctor turned to me and spoke through gritted teeth

"Phone."

"What?" I responded taken aback by the sudden urgency of it

"I need to know if the people down there are alive" he explained "I need your phone!" I nodded in realisation and slipped him my phone without the Cybermen noticing. He dialled what I can only assume was Rose's number and held the phone to his ear, sick with worry. He looked down at me "she answered, she's alive". I sighed a breath of relief "Why haven't they killed her?" he asked himself quietly

"Just be pleased they haven't!" I responded in a whisper, he ignored me

"They must need her for something" I sighed and looked at the walls, no posters or anything to distract me. Maybe that was my problem, but then maybe I'm just doing what the Doctors told me. Whenever something seems scary or upsetting divert your attention and it won't scare you. Only problem was, those doctors never anticipated I'd be here with this Doctor, nobody could.

"Quarantine the Sphere Chamber. Start emergency upgrading. Begin with these personnel." I heard one of the Cybermen say, snapping me out of my thoughts.

"No, what?" I said looking desperately at the Doctor. The Cybermen grabbed Yvonne who struggled as they dragged her away

"No, you can't do this! We surrendered! We surrendered!" She screamed as they carried her off, I stared desperately at the Doctor.

"Doctor what are they talking about?" I stared him in the eye begging for an answer

"This one's increased adrenaline suggests he has vital Dalek information." One of them stated as it approached the Doctor. The Cyberman's cold hands clamped around me and began dragging me away kicking and screaming

"Doctor! No! Please, don't let them take me away!" I begged calling out to him trying to reach for him, he tried to get to me but another Cyberman held him back, I felt myself being lifted from the floor and realised I wouldn't get out of the Cyberman's iron grip "Remember your promise!" I screamed as I was being dragged out of the room. He struggled just as much as I did but it was all in vain, I very vaguely heard him call out

"Don't panic!"


	8. Session 8: Goodbyes

"Don't panic?" I screamed back at him outraged by his suggestion. The Cyberman dragged me back down to the curtain area where I joined Yvonne again. Cybermen were marching personnel behind curtains, sparks were flying and screams and drilling echoed through the air. I looked at Yvonne who was shifting uncomfortably

"Yvonne what's going on?" I began frantically and desperately "What's upgrading? What happens in here?"

"I think... I think they remove the brain..." She gulped, she looked and sounded sick "sorry, um... I think they remove the brain and they put it in a suit of armour. That's what these things are. They're us." She said sounding more and more ill as she explained.

"Next." Came the voice of a Cyberman, two of them came and began dragging Yvonne away.

"I did my duty for Queen and Country." She said tearfully to herself, most likely for her own comfort. I watched as she was marched to the curtain behind which humans where being 'upgraded' she shrugged off the Cyberman's hand and forced herself to walk inside, speaking to herself with every forced step "I did my duty. I did my duty. Oh, God. I did my duty."

"Yvonne!" I screamed "Yvonne no!" I begged her to not walk in but she knew she had no real choice, I winced as Yvonne's screamed joined the chorus of drilling and shrieks. The Cybermen came for me next, they grabbed me again and dragged me down the corridor struggling constantly.

"Cyber Leader One has been terminated." said a Cyberman as he entered the corridor to the one dragging me along. The Cyberman released his grip on me to talk to his fellow robot, human thing.

"Explain. Download and share files" It responded. I used this time to get out of there as quickly as I could. I ran down a back stairwell as quickly as I could, my heart was beating so fast it hurt I didn't know where I was going, I hadn't thought that far ahead, all I knew was that staying in that room would be less than healthy. I looked around and realised I was truly alone now. No Doctor, not even Yvonne... good God... Yvonne. I'd just left her. A pang of guilt bolted through my entire body but I didn't stop running, I couldn't. I kept going until my phone rang, an unidentified number. I answered quickly

"Who's this?"

"Nice to speak to you too Lillian!" came the voice of the Doctor, I was relieved

"Doctor! Oh God help me!" I begged into the phone

"Listen Lilly, tell me where you are so we can get to you." He said calmly, I looked around frantically.

"Umm... a staircase..." I looked around while still moving forward "there's a sign... says N3" I was running out of breath as I spoke and ran.

"North corner, staircase 3. Just keep low, we're trying our best." He said into the phone. I got agitated and shouted into the phone

"No! No! No! No! No! Don't you dare leave me again Doctor! I don't know what the hell I'm doing!"

"I've gotta go I'm sorry" was all he said last before swiftly hanging up. I growled very loudly and kept running. I ran constantly knowing I'd either reach the bottom and run a different way or... or something I'd rather not have thought about t the time. I turned a corner to head down another set of stairs to find a Cyberman making its way towards me, obviously like anyone else would I turned and ran in the opposite direction, I ran through a door into a large hallway. The pipes were exposed on the walls and my footsteps made loud echoes vibrate against the walls, I skidded to a halt when two more Cybermen cut me off

"You will be upgraded!" it barked at me. I screamed with anger and frustration

"No!" I shouted "You know what! No I will not be bloody upgraded!" I shouted at the Cyberman and there was an explosion that made me yelp and jump back. A man was pointing a gun at me the Doctor and several other people where stood behind him. I tried to catch my breath.

"Oh... hello." I tried to catch my breath. I nodded at Jackie and Rose "Nice to see you" I looked at the Doctor "Doctor... Nice to see you..."

"Lilly are you OK?" The Doctor asked and I nodded shakily making my way over to the group, I walked over to the man with the gun that shot the Cybermen.

"Hello. I don't believe we've met. My name's Lily" I pointed at the gun swallowing and trying to catch my breath "Don't suppose you've got any more of them going?" The man laughed but I was being very serious.

"Right." The Doctor began "we'd best be on our way then" The Doctor lead us down more stairs until we came to a door, he stuck his head through to witness a huge battle between Dalek and Cybermen on the factory floor. Rose and I watched through the crack in the door. He stayed low when he walked into the room so he wouldn't be caught in the cross-fire, he grabbed the weight changing devices Yvonne showed us when we first arrived, unfortunately the name escaped me, and made his way back stumbling once after which he quickly and nervously crept back.

"Override roofing mechanism!" I heard one of the Daleks shout "Elevate!"

"What're they doing? Why'd they need to get outside?" Rose asked, we all watched them rise up into the sky and out through the roof

"Time lord science. What do they mean time lord science?" The Doctor muttered to himself, I was about to question him but he shut the door and prompted us to run to the top floor where we could watch from the window. We got the lift up to the top floor, 45 floors and all. Once the doors opened every single one of us rushed to the window. The Doctor placed the weights on Yvonne's desk on the way. There was a strange metal thing floating in the air, about the shape of a Dalek, it was spinning and rapidly shooting out more and more Daleks.

"Oh my god..." I muttered as I watched

"Time lord science" the Doctor began "it's bigger on the inside"

"Time Lords put those Daleks in there?" Inquired one of the Doctors friends I hadn't yet been introduced to "What for?"

"A prison ship" responded the Doctor.

"How many?" I asked quietly referring to the number of Daleks

"Millions" was all the Doctor said, at this point the man who shot the Cybermen in the corridor walked away from the window

"I'm sorry, but you've had it. This world's gonna crash and burn. There's nothing we can do. We're going home. Jacks, take this." He threw a yellow device to Jackie who easily caught it. I looked at the Doctor

"You really need to fill me in on what I missed" I said quietly

"Yeah" he began "You've missed quite bit"

"But they're destroying the City!" Jackie protested to the man who'd thrown her the device, he walked up to her and affectionately stroked her cheek, the Doctor wasn't kidding.

"I'd forgotten you could argue" The man said smiling gently down at Jackie, the device was on a string which he looped around her neck himself "It's not just London its the whole world" he said taking her face in his hands making her look at him "But there's another world, just waiting for you, Jacks. And it's safe. As long as the Doctor closes the breach. Doctor?" He looked at the Doctor who turned from the window with his 3D specs on wearing a big grin, he spoke gleefully

"Oh, I'm ready. I've got the equipment right here. Thank you, Torchwood!" He dashed over to a computer "slam it down close off both universes!"

"Reboot systems" said the computer as the Doctor finished typing.

"But we can't just leave. What about the Daleks? And the Cybermen-?" Rose asked, I watched the Doctor as he turned to face her

"They're part of the problem. And THATmakes them part of the solution. Oh yes!" Rose laughed nervously at his reaction, I watched them interact and smiled defeated. Whenever the Doctor and I were together I'd forget all about Rose, it would feel as if he was only here for me but I knew that wasn't the case. He was much happier now that he was back with Rose and it was obvious, she was the only reason he was here. Not me. I was snapped out of my thoughts by a sudden explosion of sound

"PULLINGthem all in." Rose shouted, they were talking about using the void to suck in everyone that had passed through it

"Pulling them all in!" responded the Doctor to Rose.

"Sorry what's the void?" asked a young man who later became known to me as Mickey

"Dead space" Replied the Doctor "Some call it hell"

"So you're sending the Daleks and Cybermen to hell?" asked Mickey looping the button around his neck, He looked at his friend "Man I told you he was good" I smiled at the Doctor

"No kidding." I said, The Doctor smiled at me over his shoulder.

"But, it's like you said..." Rose began, The Doctor has explained to her that once you travel through the void some form of excess radiation sticks to you, so if the Doctor opened it EVERYTHING that came through would be sucked into hell. "we've ALLgot Void stuff. Me too, 'cos we went to that parallel world." Rose confirmed it. She was wearing the Doctors glasses and they allowed her to see the 'void stuff', she flexed her fingers and moved her had around in front of her. "We're all contaminated, we'll get pulled in" she said, her voice dripping with sorrow. The Doctor looked at her

"That's why you've got go" he said gently to her 'reboot in two minutes' the computer spoke over him. "Back to Pete's world" He continued, he pointed at Pete turning to look at him, the man who shot my Cyberman attackers. "Hey, we should call it that - 'Pete's World'." He turned quickly back to Rose "I'm opening the Void, but only on this side. You'll be safe on that side." Rose only stared at him, Pete spoke up

"And then you close it, for good?" he asked

"The breach itself is soaked in Void Stuff, in the end it'll close itself. And that's it. Kaput." The Doctor replied, I looked at Rose, she had a look on her face that showed utter devastation. She was only just realising what was happening and it was heartbreaking to witness.

"But you stay on THIS side?" she said to the Doctor, scared.

"You'll get pulled in" Mickey added. I looked at the Doctor as he held Rose's gaze. He stayed for a moment before running off to the weights he'd taken from the factory floor. Rose stayed where she was, looking utterly devastated.

"That's why... I got these. I'll just have to hold on tight - I've been doing it all my life." Stated the Doctor holding up the weights.

"I'm supposed to go" Rose said, her voice was cracking as if she was about to cry, I wouldn't be surprised if she did.

"Yeah" The doctor mumbled lowly, constantly averting his eyes

"To another world, and then it gets sealed off." She said again in the same sorrowful tone

"Yeah" replied the Doctor not wanting to talk about it.

"Forever" Rose said, pausing to laugh about it, "That's not going to happen". A crash from outside shook the building causing everyone to stumble slightly. Pete briskly, and startled by the tremor began hurrying everyone.

"We haven't got time to argue, the plans works, we go in. You too. ALL of us." He rushed everyone. They'd forgotten about me, I shrunk away into the corner. At one point I contemplated just walking out and going home, I hadn't been through the void so I wouldn't be sucked in and I would have if not for the armies of Daleks and Cybermen outside. The next few minutes irritated me to no end. It was the clichéd 'I'm not leaving without said person' speech from several different people. I was probably just being insensitive but it seemed foolish to mess around with such a tired cliché when the world was about the end if they didn't get a move on. Rose's mother was insisting on staying behind with Rose who insisted on staying behind with the Doctor who insisted everyone left.

"I've had a life with you for nineteen years." Rose began speaking in soft tones to her mother, her voice strained from holding back tears "But then I met the Doctor and... all the things I've seen him do for me. For you. For all of us. For the whole... stupid planet and every planet out there. He does it alone, mum." She said slowly backing away from her mum and towards the Doctor. The Doctor looked at Pete over Rose's shoulder and pulled out a button on a chain from his pocket, the deepest look of sadness in his eyes. "But not anymore." She said smiling "'Cos now he's got me" The Doctor looped the chain around Rose's neck, she turned quickly to him to question him but before she could Pete pressed the button and they vanished. On the other side of the void in the other universe, Pete snatched the buttons from everyone so that couldn't return. Rose broke down in fits of tears begging to go back.

Back on our side of the void the Doctor stared silently at the space where Rose stood. I sheepishly emerged from where I was stood and slowly walked towards him fidgeting as I did.

"Doctor" I said softly. He turned around startled by my presence, I hung my head sympathetically not breaking eye contact with him "how can I help?"


	9. Session 9: Closure

"Lily!" he yelled my name and ran over grabbing me by the arms "what are you doing here?" he was frantic, I smiled.

"I've never been through the void." He let go of my arms "that means I'm safe doesn't it?"

"Yes..." he said quietly.

"Systems rebooted. Open access." Beeped the computer

"So can I help?" I asked, he looked around for a moment and smiled ever so slightly. He pointed at a computer not far from us

"Those co-ordinates over there, set them all at six." I rushed over to the computer and he watched me "Hurry up" he barked at me. I finished with the co-ordinates and switched to watching the CCTV I noticed masses and masses of Cybermen making their way up the stairs.

"Doctor..." I began "We have a few unannounced visitors" he rushed over at the sound of unease in my voice

"How many floors down?" He asked leaning over me to look at the monitor.

"One" I replied, I looked up at him from my hunched form over the computer "Will we have enough time?"

"Plenty" he walked off and started doing something with another computer, I watched as the Cybermen made their way up the stairs until a third one blocked their path. As it spoke there was something different about its voice

"You shall not pass" it demanded. I heard the authority in its voice but there was a heart wrenching sadness to it. The tone that hung from the robotic voice was familiar.

"What is the meaning of this?" asked one of the other Cybermen

"You shall NOT pass!" repeated the Cyberman blocking their path. It pulled the trigger on its gun destroying the Cybermen before it in a bright ray of white light. It spoke and I listened intently the robotic tone of its voice remained solid and unemotional yet the undertone... it cracked and sounded horrifically sorrowful. It was the sound of a dying human

"I did my duty for Queen and Country. I did my duty for Queen and Country. I did my duty for Queen and Country." I heard it speak and a tear came to my eye as I remembered being in that horrific room with the WOMAN that just saved our lives, I remembered her walking with her head held high to what other would have considered their doom, but even when they cut her open and put her in that suit of armour, even then she wasn't a Cyberman, a tear rolled down my cheek as I whispered my thanks to the hero on the other side of the monitor, she didn't die because she wanted to yet without even the smallest amount of bitterness, she still fought for the race she belonged to when she was no longer obligated. Her voice was filled only with sorrow for what she believed she had become, but she was no less a human than she was the day she was born.

"Levers operational" the computer announced into the room ripping my attention away from the screen, The Doctor was smiling until he looked at me

"What's wrong" he asked looking concerned, I realised a stray tear has escaped, I quickly wiped it away

"Yvonne" I said sniffing, I heard my voice crack but I was smiling none the less "Yvonne just saved our lives". The Doctor smiled and came over placing a comforting hand on my shoulder.

"Then let's not let her down by dying here" He smiled again and dumped one of the weights in my arms, I stumbled a little taken aback by him

"What's this for?" I asked "I never went through the void so I won't be sucked in"

"You're really close to the gap" he began "I don't know if the force pulling inwards is just going to pull in every living thing that's close but I'd rather not risk it." He explained it well as he placed his against the wall, I did the same. He smiled and nodded at it. "Press the red button". I looked at the weight until I located it and pressed it as I was told. The Doctor began speaking extremely quickly "When it starts, just hold on tight. Shouldn't be too bad for us but the Daleks and the Cybermen are steeped in Void Stuff. Are you ready?" He asked slowing down as he reached the question. I nodded and caught a glimpse of something out of the window

"We might want to get this done because" The Doctor spotted the Daleks out of the window also "I think they've caught on" I said urgently

"Then lets do it!" he shouted, we both ran to the levers pulling them right down, we then rushed to the weights which were now attached to the wall. Though I knew there was no guarantee that I was in danger adrenaline surged through me making my heart race none the less.

"Online" came the voice of the computer I looked at the Doctor who was grinning wildly a strong and loud wind began surging through the chamber

"The breach is open! Into the Void! Ha!" The Doctor shouted over the sound of the wind. The wind got stronger and I saw the Doctor being lifted off his feet, the wind was sucking me in a little but it was obviously not as drastically as the Doctor was though. After a while floods and floods of Daleks and Cybermen began whooshing past us. "How're you holding up over there Lillian!" he shouted across to me

"It's a breeze" I said jokingly. I hoped he got the joke, I heard him laugh so he must've but then that could've been because it was one of those jokes that was so bad its good. Soon enough the stream of Robotic monsters thinned until there were none passing at all anymore, the light on the wall began to ripple and glow until it closed up with a massive slurping sound, like water spiralling down a plug hole. The wind stopped and the light vanished. The Doctor hesitantly let go of the weight, as did I. "That's it then?" I began "It's closed?" I asked him, I felt an overwhelming sensation of stillness and quiet. The Doctor didn't respond, he only stared at the wall. I walked over and placed a hand on his shoulder, He looked at me from over his shoulder. I spoke gently to him. "Is there any way you can say goodbye?" I asked softly, He looked away then back at me

"Yeah..." he began "but it won't be easy, and it's probably a little excessive" he was disappointed, I could tell. I only smiled.

"Does it matter?" I said smiling up at him, he looked down at me once again "Excessive, and difficult, It may be the last time you ever see her. I think it would be worth it" He only remained silent. "Listen." I began "You do whatever you need to do, for once the rest of the world doesn't matter"

"That's a little selfish isn't it?" he said quietly.

"Well if what Rose said was true then you deserve it." He turned and leaned on the wall "You look after these people all the time, I'm sure they'd forgive you"

"What if it involves destroying the universe?" He asked. I was taken aback by this but carried on

"Well does it?" I asked quickly. He shook his head. "Then go for it. What have you got to lose?" I asked. I decided to leave him to think, I turned on my heels and went to leave

"Wait Lily!" he stopped me, I turned to look at him. I shoved my hands in my pockets feeling a wonderful feeling of calm and completion, but I knew that wasn't the case for everyone. "Where are you going?" he asked softly. I smiled and chuckled slightly

"Well I'm going to head home and start on that bottle of vodka, I think I deserve it." I smiled and he chuckled a little "maybe you can join me when you've finished doing what you do, I think YOU deserve it" he smiled in response to what I said and put his own hands in his pockets.

"I'm not much of a drinker" he began "but if you switch the vodka for a good cup of tea I might reconsider."

"I'll even throw in some biscuits" I said as I turned on my heel once more to leave.

"Lily!" he called again I looked over my shoulder at him

"Yeah?"

"I'm coming back for you" he said gently "Don't do anything stupid." My heart sank at this, remembering the thoughts that were rushing through my head only hours ago as I strolled through that field. I hung my head.

"I promise you Doctor" I said in a hushed tone "nobody else will die today" at this I began to walk towards the door, as I reached the door I turned to look at him. He was staring at the wall again. I quietly opened the door and walked casually out of the tower, way too casually out of the tower. As I reached the cold London street I shoved my hands in my pocket and made my way hunched over from cold back to my flat.

As I reached my flat I began rummaging through my pocket remembering I never did find my keys. I sighed and kept looking eventually giving up.

"Balls to this" I said quietly to myself as I stepped back preparing myself to run at the door to knock it down. I braced myself and ran at it, just as I was nearing the door it opened from the inside to reveal a smiling Doctor, instead of stopping I crashed right into him.

"Welcome home Lily!" he said cheerfully. I stepped away from him and into my house allowing him to close the door.

"That was quick" I said turning into the living room, not looking around at my surroundings yet "How did you get in-" I paused mid sentence as I came face to face with a huge Tardis parked smack bang in the centre of my living room. He walked by me as if nothing was unusual.

"Yes well" he began taking a seat on the sofa "I just thought since I had the ability to not keep you waiting I'd take advantage of it" he sat back on the sofa putting his feet up on my coffee table and smiled "so!" he began "How about that cup of tea?" I gave him a smirk and walked into the kitchen filling the kettle up and flicking it on.

"How d'you take it?" I shouted from the kitchen

"Any way is fine" he replied. I allowed the kettle to boil and walked back into the living room, I began leaning on the doorway and crossed my arms looking down at the Doctor with a concerned demeanour.

"Are you OK Doctor?" I asked him gently, he only looked up and beamed.

"Me? Oh I'm fine! Better than fine! I'm fine-tastic!" he said enthusiastically. I sat beside him on the sofa, not buying his story.

"You're not fooling me" I began "Is she OK?" I asked gently he looked at the floor finally dropping the act.

"She's fine." He began "her mum" he started with a smile "her mum is three months pregnant!" he said happily. I only smiled in response to this.

"And... you?" I prompted him gently to speak to me "What about you Doctor? Will you be OK?" I asked. He smiled in response

"Yeah." He said gently "I'll be OK in time" he said with a weak smile. We were interrupted by the click of kettle and the rumble of boiling water. I excused myself and went to make the tea, instead of just guess how the doctor took his tea I poured it straight into teapot with no milk or sugar and brought it all out on a tray so he could decide for himself.

"Oh lovely!" he said sitting forward in his seat taking a cup and adding the milk and sugar as he liked, I took my cup having added everything I wanted in the kitchen, putting the vodka aside for now.

"Doctor" I began sheepishly, not really wanting to ask the next question on my mind "What's the REAL reason why you came here so quickly?"


	10. Session 10: Background

The Doctor sighed and put his cup down on the tray.

"I didn't know if you would... try something or not" he said, almost through gritted teeth. I sighed and sat back in my chair. I looked away from him for a moment thinking deeply stirring my tea as I did.

"I see..." I said still thinking, I sat forward with my cup in hand not knowing what else to say. I remained quiet noticing the silence grow longer and longer and longer and I could tell both of us noticed it.

"Why?" he asked breaking the silence, I smiled a little.

"You know it's funny..." I began still looking away "I've spent the last five years trying to explain to doctors why and none of them have ever even figured it out, I mean even with me telling them." I smiled and put my cup on the table, I sighed and sat back on the sofa tipping my head back and closing my eyes.

"I'm not a doctor" he began softly "I'm The Doctor." He touched my arm so that I looked at him "So why don't you try telling me" He said the last part quietly, and I sighed. I didn't want to talk about it anymore, I knew it was stupid but now that The Doctor had came along and given me something to live for I didn't want to, and now that I didn't want to I just wanted to forget I ever did. I knew I couldn't.

"I guess so." I began "How long have you got?" I asked smiling slightly. The Doctor looked at his watch tapping the face with his finger mumbling slightly

"Well... it's about quarter past now... so umm... I'd say... about... forever." I smiled at his response. I didn't know if he could read my thoughts now or not, but I knew that regardless of that he wanted me to talk about it. Maybe it was a thing to make me trust him or something to do with me getting it off my chest, I wasn't entirely sure.

"Well... I suppose it didn't get really bad until I was about sixteen, but the causes started way before then" I began; he was watching me intently, just as the other doctors did. I knew of nothing else to do in this situation but hang my head and continue in a lower tone. It was always difficult to talk about, I was essentially clawing into my deepest and darkest thoughts and emotions, dragging them forcefully out to lay them on a table for all to see. To me, it was about as easy as trying to forcefully cough my heart up. "My mum... I guess was OK. We couldn't afford much and I was already bullied at school obviously it got worse when I began showing up in shirts that wouldn't fit across my chest and trousers that would rip or casual clothes because I didn't have any others" I gulped and began fidgeting, I could tell by the look on the Doctors face that he knew how hard it was. "I didn't do well in school, because of... family things meaning I was never there. They kept me back about" I paused for thought "about three years" I sighed and sat back in the chair falling silent. I looked at the Doctor "say something" I pleaded. He just looked up at me and smiled

"I'm listening" was all he said, it was a simple sentiment, nothing amazing or comforting, yet those two words were enough to make me feel more human than the endless streams of meaningless drool my previous doctors spouted ever did.

"I could say it was the bullying" I started again "don't get me wrong it played a part but it wasn't JUST that. I mean every day there was someone new telling me I wouldn't amount to anything, telling me I'd be homeless at seventeen and dead by twenty" I smiled "I guess I've proven them wrong for that much at least" The Doctor smiled and I continued fidgeting as I did "when I was sixteen my mother kicked me out. I wandered the street for a few days, no food, water or shelter. I was already contemplating suicide but was never ballsy enough to do it until I considered how slow and painful starving or freezing to death would be."

"So..." asked the Doctor pushing me to continue

"So I threw myself in front of a bus." I replied bluntly "Survived it, obviously. Woke up in hospital feeling like Doctor Octopus with the amount of cables and wires. I could hardly tell which were going in and which were going out." I smiled trying my best to make light of it, I knew I couldn't but it was just too hard to talk about seriously. "As soon as I was fit enough to get out of that hospital they sent me to an institute, they put me under around the clock suicide watch and put me on medication so strong I didn't even know my own name, I guess it kind of worked. I mean I was too doped up because of that medication I wasn't even capable of handling a spoon. They let me out a year later when they felt I was dim enough to let back out into the world, but they sent me to doctor after doctor to ensure I remained brain dead enough to not think about things that upset me" I put my head down drawing my story to a quick and basic finish. The Doctor looked at me with a furrowed brow.

"You've left out bits" he said boldly "there's huge holes in your story" he said picking up on my method. I smiled without looking at him

"Wow." I said plainly "you're the first doctor to notice I do that, the others just thought I was depressed without reason" I turned my head to look at him as I leaned forward resting my elbows on my knees. "I take it you want me to go on?" I asked. He nodded and I sighed "Alright" I began stretching "It's not like I can hide it anymore, but keep in mind everything I tell you from this point... well... nobody but you and I know it." He nodded very slightly but didn't say anything. I suppose I was partly glad of it. I continued "My mum... wasn't great... she wasn't even OK. She was the worst possible mother anyone could ever ask for. I told the counsellors she was OK and that she did her best and that I was a problem child because I didn't want to become another statistic which is only how it is because of bad parents. I mean, as terrible as my mother was, she only played a part. Counsellors find it way too easy to just lump me with the loons raised from dysfunction and that wasn't the problem at all."

"What did she do?" asked the Doctor gently

"Well if the question is 'what did she do to be a good mother' then the answer would be, in not so colourful terms, nothing. I guess she bought me cheap clothes that didn't fit but only because she couldn't send me to school naked and would probably be arrested if she didn't send me at all. If the question is 'what did she do to hurt me' then the answer would be... well what didn't she do? She abused me in more way than one, she was constantly drunk. On good days I felt like her pet dog that she paraded around in front of her drinking buddies, kicking it occasionally for a laugh. And on bad days I felt nothing. You can't feel anything when you're unconscious." I rubbed the back of my neck "I was cutting for a long time without the intention of suicide, but I suppose I always hoped one day I'd accidently cut too deep. That was one of the reasons I was bullied, the scars. I was bullied for countless things, the way I dress of course, my lack of money, my scars, my family and often for no reason at all. My mum was contacted by the school many times, she pretended while she was there but as soon as we got home she would call me a coward and go back to her sweet old self" I glared and spat the sarcasm through almost gritted teeth. "She kicked me out as soon as it was legal to do so, when asked I said I ran way. Any more holes you want filling in Doctor?" I asked.

"Why didn't you just tell someone about her?" he asked gently but confused.

"Simple" I replied with a smile "I have a sister. She loved my sister endlessly and was never cruel to her, she is capable of being a mother, but just not to me. My mother and my sisters father separated for a while and my sister lived with her dad during that time she drank excessively and was awful, but when they got together again she stopped drinking cold turkey, she was still cruel to me but never to my sister. I think I was the only thing in the way of her having her 'perfect family circle' which is why she kicked me out as soon as possible."

The doctor looked at me for a moment as if I was mad for thinking that but he shrugged it off "And the bullies" he pressed "They must have done something horrific" I smirked and rolled my sleeves up showing him my arms I pointed to my left arm which was streaked with slow fading scars that where only now beginning to turn that white colour scars turn to after years of healing

"I did those" I said watching his reaction as his brow furrowed, I then pointed to my right arm which had been shredded up and down with both 3D scars that were still very pink and slow fading white streaks. The word 'freak' had been etched inches below the fold of my arm, it was still very visible to see. "They did those" I said with a darker tone to my voice, I watched his expression change and his eyes widen "It kept on after I left school, they'd look for me on the streets and do this, I tried telling the police but they believed that because I cut anyway that I was just trying to send them down for bullying me which they, apparently, had already been punished for." I rolled down my sleeves quickly talking as I did "it's one thing for me to mark my own body, it's another for the very people who were part of the cause to pin me down and forever etch their poison into my skin forever. I didn't want to live with a body that had been violated by so many people, that just... it was the straw that broke the camel's back" I looked at him and noticed his eyes hadn't moved from where my arms were previously I sighed and looked at my feet "You know what? Only today have I realised how stupid I was. I'll never live a life like yours Doctor, I wouldn't know where to begin, but maybe I could try something similar." I thought for a little while longer "And you know what else... after everything that's ever happened in my life, and everything that's happened today... explaining all of this to you was the hardest thing I've ever had to do" I looked at the Doctor who lifted his head finally looking me in the eye. I smiled and pulled him into a sudden tight hug laughing slightly as tears of joy came to my eye.

"Lily..." was all he said, surprised by my sudden affection. I laughed as a tear fell onto his blazer

"This is crazy, you're crazy... I must be crazy but hell! I don't want to die anymore Doctor!" I released him and look into his eyes "I don't know what you did, you didn't say or do anything but it worked! Maybe it was everything that happened today... in fact it probably was!" I got up and began pacing around the living room muttering to myself I smiled as tears of joy continued to fall, I was finally feeling like I was getting better. I stopped in my tracks when I saw the Doctor standing next to the Tardis door watching me with a blank expression. "You're leaving?" I asked, the joy in my voice disappeared in a flash.

"Yeah" he said blankly I took a few steps forward fidgeting and averting my eyes to the floor.

"So soon? You won't stay? Even a little longer?" I asked sadly, he smirked and looked around

"Nah" he began casually "nothing here for me anymore". My heart broke at his sudden disinterest, I remembered the promise me made me, to take me to the stars. I lowered my eyes like a shy child

"OK" I said quietly "thank you Doctor... for everything". He smiled brightly

"No problem!" he beamed "Now then back to business! Maybe you should go pack some things"

"Wh-What?" I stammered, a wide smile lighting up my face

"Well I made you a promise didn't I?" He shouted it slightly, but joyfully "Now go on! Go get your toothbrush and we'll be off!" he shouted I couldn't help but laugh loudly in response like an excited child I ran upstairs and threw almost everything I had into a single suitcase squeezing the lid shut and moving as quickly as I could. I eventually clumsily stumbled down the stairs carrying a heavy suitcase. The Doctor took it from me and threw it in the Tardis opening the door for me to go through.

"Come on then Lillian! Let's go have some adventures!" he yelled happily. I went to enter the Tardis but he stopped me, beaming wildly "Listen, I was the last Time lord for so long, nothing would make me happier than for you to come with me and I'll be honest, I'd consider kidnapping you if you changed your mind" he chuckled and pulled my house keys out of his pocket giving them to me "I found these on top of the DVD by the way" he said off topic "Now if you want to come with me, you'd be leaving everything here behind, you know that don't you?" he asked seriously. I smiled looking at my keys and throwing them over my shoulder into the living room. I smiled widely

"Good riddance" I said not taking my eyes off the Doctor "Now, take me to the stars spaceman!" I said jokingly ducking under his arm and walking happily into the Tardis he smiled and followed me, shouting joyfully as he did.

"Anywhere and any-when you want m'lady!"


	11. Session 11: The Bride

I entered the Tardis and looked around again, still amazed. The Doctor shut the door and watched me with his back leaning against it smiling. I made my way to the control panel running my fingers lightly across the cold metal. I slowed down my pace and studied each button carefully, I hadn't had a chance to properly observe it the first time. I looked at each coloured device, each metal lever and rubber button. The Doctor slowly made his way over smiling. I stared at the panel, propping myself up with my arms as I loomed over it with furrowed brow. He stood behind me watching me.

"Looks familiar doesn't it?" he asked casually.

"Yeah" I replied not taking my eyes off it "Feels like I've been here before... I don't know how I missed it the first time." I caressed the buttons gently, The Doctor slowly walked towards the panel leaning on it as I observed

"Why doesn't she remember me? It's like I'm meeting her all over again" There it was again, I heard his voice. I looked at him as he was speaking but his lips weren't moving.

"Everything OK?" he asked after I'd been watching him for a while. I my eyes darted briefly away then back at him then away again all in the space of a second. I diverted my attention back to the panel trying desperately to pull the memory of this place from the back of my mind.

"Yeah" I said as I began pondering the panel again, dismissing what I heard, not caring much about it. For all I cared I was mad, but it didn't matter. So was he. "Yeah I'm fine, just trying to work this out" I concluded. The Doctor smiled and I slowly moved away from the panel, sitting down on a nearby seat still thinking hard. The Doctor took his place at the panel and began pulling levers, pressing buttons and typing co-ordinates. It didn't help. It only made it seem more familiar. I watched him intently as what seemed like a thousand suppressed voices screamed out to me in frustration from the back of my mind, from the eight hundred years I'd apparently forgotten. They screamed at me as if I wasn't listening or I couldn't hear them. I could hear them, but only barely. It was as if they were behind sound proof glass and I could hear their muffled cries and was only a slight increase in volume away from understanding every word. The words were there, muffled and frustrated and so close to being understandable, but just not close enough. "Doctor" I began with a curious tone

"Yeah?" he asked watching a screen.

"I-I don't suppose you knew me" I began believing my inquiries to be a shot in the dark

"Knew you?" He asked turning his back on the screen to look at me; He leaned on the panel behind him.

"Yeah" I replied "before now" I said looking up catching his gaze. He tipped his head back ever so slightly with realisation.

"Oh" he began looking now back at me "Yeah... yeah I did" he replied lowly. I stood up quickly walking towards him as he looked away, I grabbed his arm and he looked at me.

"Please Doctor" I began "Tell me something, this is already driving me mad" I begged he sighed and moved me gently aside sitting in the seat I'd just gotten up from.

"Listen Lily." He started rubbing his temples with his fingertips "There's nothing I would love more than to tell you how I knew you but" he paused as if fighting temptation "it's too important to risk. If I tell you now then it might change what's supposed to happen." He said almost sadly. My heart sank. My mind immediately went to the worst case scenario which was, did I really just break my neck trying to escape that bloody tower, just to die at a particular time at a particular place. The Doctor smiled

"Always thinking the worst" he said with a fake happiness but there was a very obvious familiarly in his voice as if he was meeting with an old friend, but the more I thought about it, he'd been doing it from the very first moment I'd met him today. "Don't worry, you didn't risk your life today for nothing, you won't need to die" he said and I sighed a breath of relief.

"So what could it be?" I asked now failing to see what could be so bad that I couldn't know.

"I'm sorry Lily. I'm not willing to risk it but I promise you, you will find out eventually, but it might take some time." He said gently. He took hold of my hand and my heart skipped, I looked at him and he smiled "You have to trust me and I promise it won't take half as long" He got up and observed the screen again "That is, if you're still the same as you were last time I knew you" He turned and looked over his shoulder at me "and it seems to me that you haven't changed a bit. I love that!" he said happily. I smiled and got up to stand next to him.

"So" I began "Where are you taking me?" I asked trying to work out the co-ordinates on the screen

"Didn't I say I'd take you to the stars?" He asked smiling widely. I jumped up and down a little happily, I rushed to a window and gazed outside, the breath was knocked out of me instantly. Millions of stars stretching as far as the eye could see, beautiful multicoloured nebulas and burning suns of every colour, I felt like the world I knew was only a drop in the giant ocean of the world only myself and the Doctor were viewing at this time. It was everywhere, over us, in front of us, under us, all around us. We were suspended adrift in a world so much greater than the people of earth, myself and maybe even the Doctor.

"I never cared much for the stars... I can see how wrong I was." I said in almost a whisper, still trying to urge my breath back from whatever force had swept it gently from my lungs.

"I see this every day" The Doctor said joining me by the window "it never gets old" he said placing a hand on my shoulder.

"Every day?" I repeated still stricken with awe "Leaving with you was the best decision I've ever made" I said looking up at him smiling

"So far" he corrected me, I didn't bother asking what he meant everything was just too incredible. He took my hand and pointed out of the window "Over there" I followed his finger to gaze upon a giant orb, it looked like it was burning, a glorious purple/yellow smoke waved into the darkness around it and vanished as it thinned only to be followed by another whisp of smoke so the magical sight could continue forever. "A super nova, a giant and amazingly powerful" he said explaining it to me as if I was a young child at a museum

"It's beautiful" I said watching the smoke dance across the universe

"All of the most powerful things are" he said quietly I looked up at him and smiled

"Thank you." I said happily

"For what?" He looked down at me as I removed my hands from the window pane.

"For taking me away." I began "My life was horrible there, you've given me a new one." I smiled content and gazed back out of the window

"I didn't give you a new one" he corrected "I gave you your old one back" I smiled not looking away

"Perhaps" I began "But don't tease me like that Doctor, especially if you won't tell me who I was-" I paused for a moment and smiled correcting myself "sorry, am!" I heard a funny sound coming from the other side of the Tardis, we both turned to see a woman in a white dress.

"What?" the Doctor said quickly and confused. The woman, bride, yelped turning to face him, sounding very cross

"Who are you?" she snapped. The Doctor looked around the Tardis absolutely dumbfounded, me? I couldn't think of anything to say.

"But-" he started still confused, I opened my mouth to speak but nothing came out, I only pointed at the woman for a moment before lowering my hand having only made a very brief, very confused, very quick 'ah' noise.

"Where am I?" the woman asked, in vain having the Doctor only reply with

"What?" I looked at the Doctor trying to ask how she could be here but the woman raised her voice and shouted over me

"What the hell is this place?" she yelled outraged by the lack of explanation.

"You can't do that, I wasn't... we're in flight! That is- that is physically impossible! How did-?" The Doctor began but was quickly interrupted by the panicking bride

"Tell me where I am. I demand you tell me right now - where am I?" she shouted again

"Doctor..." I said walking away from the window and towards the bride "Why is there a bride in the Tardis?" I asked dumbfounded

"The what?" asked the bride

"The Tardis" replied the Doctor

"The what?" she asked again

"The Tardis!" I responded louder, assuming she only hadn't heard correctly. The bride replied angrily

"That's not even a proper word!" she yelled

"How did you get in here?" The Doctor asked

"Well, obviously, when you kidnapped me. Who was it? Who's paying you? Is it Nerys? Oh, my God, she's finally got me back. This has got Nerys written all over it." She shouted even louder

"Who the hell is Nerys?" asked the Doctor shouting back slightly

"Your best friend" she responded sharply

"What?" I finally yelled

"We're past that bit Now Lily" said the Doctor turning to me briefly before turning back to the bride "Why are you dressed like that?" he asked her I looked at him, the genius that figured out how to stopped a Dalek/Cybermen war on humanity all on his own yet he had to ask why a woman was dressed in a white wedding dress

"What?" I exclaimed, baffled at how he couldn't figure THAT out on his own

"We're past that Lily!" he shouted louder, I stomped over to him angrily and thumped him in the arm

"Don't be so rude!" I shouted at him, the woman shouted over me

"Sorry to interrupt your domestic but I've been waiting all my life for this!" She shouted looking at each of us in turn "I was just seconds away! And then you- I dunno, you drugged me or something!"

"I haven't done anything!" The Doctor shouted, surprised by the accusation. There was a lot of shouting going on.

"We're having the police on you! Me and my husband - as soon as he is my husband - we're gonna sue the living backside off ya!" The bride ranted as the Doctor was operating the control panel in the centre of the Tardis. I walked up to the ranting bride in an attempt to calm her, she only pushed past me and headed straight for the door, when suspended in outer space… well it's not the best idea.

"Doctor!" I shouted getting his attention as he rushed over to the door where the bride and I were stood, she swung the doors open and stared awe stricken into space.

"You're in space. Outer Space. This is my... space-ship. It's called the 'TARDIS'." The Doctor explained to the gawping bride

"How am I breathing?" She asked as if she hardly was

"The Tardis is protecting us" He continued to explain

"Who are you?" The bride asked finally

"I'm the Doctor" He began, he pointed over his shoulder at me "This is Lily" I smiled awkwardly

"Hi." I said giving a little wave "You look lovely" I said sheepishly

"Who are you?" Asked the Doctor

"Donna" she replied the Doctor examined her up and down

"Human?" he asked

"Yeah" she responded "is that optional" I chuckled as I walked back into the Tardis to see if I could figure out the controls

"You'd be surprised" I said amused, the Doctor looked at me and then back at her

"Well it is for me and Lily anyway" he said. Donna glanced up at him, I think she was at the point where very little could surprise her

"You're an alien?" She asked him, he smiled and nodded his head towards me

"Both of us" He replied "Me and Lily". She paused for a moment staring out of the doors, there was a hint of laughter in her voice, but not much. It was obvious she didn't know what to say

"It's freezing with these doors open"


	12. Session 12: Christmas

The Doctor slammed the doors shut and rushed inside, suddenly full of energy

"But I don't understand it and I understand everything! This- this can't happen! There is no way a Human Being can lock itself onto the TARDIS and transport itself inside. It must be..." He grabbed a strange device which shined a light in Donnas eye, spouting endless technological babble as he did. "Impossible. Some sort of subatomic connection? Something in the temporal field? Maybe something pulling you into alignment with the Chronon shell. Maybe something macro mining your DNA within the interior matrix. Maybe a genetic—" I jumped when I heard the connection Donna's hand made with the Doctors face when she slapped him, I was gob-smacked by this (as was the Doctor, literally).

"What was that for?" He shouted indignantly.

"Get me to the church!" she shouted back. It seemed so obvious that's why she was worked up, The Doctor must've been thinking the same, he dropped his tools and walked to the controls

"Right! Fine! I don't want you here anyway! Where is this wedding?" He said not looking up from the controls. She went and stood beside him watching what he was doing

"Saint Mary's, Hayden Road, Chiswick, London, England, Earth, the Solar System." She began speaking but finished, as usual, shouting. I smiled wanting to have some wind her up but knowing it wasn't exactly the right time, The Doctor buzzed around the controls for a moment before concluding by pulling a lever

"Right! Chiswick." He said plainly. The Tardis shuddered, Donna grabbed my shoulder for balance, caught out by the sudden movement, but I didn't mind, I helped keep her on her feet by holding onto the arm which she had placed on my shoulder and was holding onto extremely… tightly. The Tardis finally stopped shuddering and she looked at me surprised.

"Don't worry it always catches people off the first time, afterwards you kind of expect it" I said reassuringly, but I think it just panicked her. She hurriedly walked outside and looked around, we followed her to find we were in some sort of industrial park.

"I said 'Saint Mary's'. What sort of Martian are you? Where's this?" She demanded, I walked up to the Doctor as he stroked the Tardis with concern

"Something's wrong with her" he said quietly to himself, Donna rolled her eyes but the Doctor didn't notice "It's like she's... recalibrating!" He murmured thoughtfully before hurrying back inside and rushing to the control panel "She's digesting!" He stated conclusively, I had no idea what he was talking about. I went outside to keep an eye on Donna to find her circling the Tardis, mouth a-gape

"You OK Donna?" I asked gently watching her circle the Tardis, I heard the Doctor call for her from inside

"Donna? You've really gotta think. Is there anything that might've caused this?" He called her but she ignored him, circling the Tardis slowly, checking the walls with her hands. "Anything you might've done? Any sort of alien contacts? I can't let you go wandering off in case you're dangerous. I mean, have you... have you seen lights in the sky? Or... did you touch something? Something- something different? Something strange? Something made out of a sort of metal or... who're you getting married to?" She ignored him again, I circled the Tardis to where she was walking and followed slowly behind

"Donna?" I said her name gently, hoping she'd respond to a less… hyper voice, nothing. She finished walking around and stuck her head inside the Tardis to confirm what she'd just seen, having seen she was right, she stumbled backwards with her hands over her mouth.

"Are you sure he's human? He's not a bit overweight with a zip around his forehead, is he?" The Doctor called again, I know I'd only known him for about twenty four hours but I could throttle him for this, surely he must have picked up on her discomfort and wasn't helping in the slightest. Donna turned and ran off, I followed her as quickly as I could calling for the Doctor as I did, I caught up to her and began trying to calm her.

"Donna calm down it's alright." I said gently

"Leave me alone!" She barked "I just want to get married" she said this time with a heavy heart

"And you will!" I began speeding up to run in front of her. I turned to look at her wich meant I was running backwards "Come back to the Tardis and I promise we'll get you to your wedding as soon as possible!" I urged her but she didn't budge, The Doctor caught up to us.

"Donna come on!" He pressed

"No!" She barked angrily "That box is too… weird."

"It's just bigger on the inside, that's all" The Doctor tried to reassure her by making it seem less weird

"Oh is that all?" She replied sarcastically, I didn't think his attempts would work. Donna sighed and checked her watch "Ten past three. I'm gonna miss it." She choked back tears

"You can phone them. Tell them where you are." He said reassuringly. Donna only snapped at him

"How do I do that?"

"Don't you have a phone?" He asked, Donna stopped and stared at him 'here we go' I thought.

"I'm in my wedding dress. It doesn't have pockets. Who has pockets? Have you ever seen a bride with pockets? When I went to my fitting, do you think I said 'Alison, the one thing I forgot to say is give me pockets'?" She barked and I sighed, seemed like we'd stumbled upon a bridezilla. The Doctor changed the subject

"... This man you're marrying - what's his name?" The Doctor asked, there seemed to be a hint of suspicion to his voice, well maybe. All I could figure out was he wasn't asking it like a normal question, he was trying to figure something out

"Lance" Donna replied, her voice dripping with affection

"Good luck Lance" I replied jokingly, Donna snapped at me

"Oi! No stupid Martian is gonna stop me from getting married. To hell with you! Both of you!" She barked and ran off again, The Doctor glared at me

"What I was just kidding! Don't pretend you weren't thinking it too!" I explained reading his expression, He smirked at me and I smiled back "Besides… where does she get off calling us Martians? I thought we were from Galleypay not Mars" I said as we followed her

"Gallifrey." He corrected me "and no we're not from Mars you're right about that much" He smiled as he kept his eyes on Donna, I liked making him smile. I'd never been able to make anyone else smile but my little sister and I hadn't seen her for years. I figured, if I could make him smile or laugh at least once a day, I'd be doing my job right. Especially since I wasn't 100% sure what my proper job with him actually was, though I'd imagine it didn't involve annoying the humans that were dragged into whatever mess we were in, I didn't question why we were following Donna, I knew the Doctor was a good man and he obviously wanted to get her to her wedding but there was also an element of curiosity, he wanted to know why and how she managed to teleport into the Tardis. We caught up to Donna in a busy street trying to catch a taxi but all in vain. She and the Doctor tried for a while to hail one but it just wasn't working, I sighed and fumbled through my pockets for change, having none I walked over to a cash machine to take some out, The Doctor met me just as I was taking out some money.

"What are you doing?" He asked

"What does it look like?" I responded with a smile "doing it my way!" I rolled the cash up and held it tightly in my right hand as I stood by the road side. I held it up enough so that the Taxi drivers could see and put two fingers between my lips and whistled, Donna jumped but a taxi pulled up only moments later. Donna got in immediately and began barking directions at him whereas I looked around for the Doctor who was still by the cash machine, his vision fixed on something. I called out for him and he looked around to see where the shout came from, he saw me waving at him from the taxi and made his way over but only after taking one last look at whatever he was staring at. We both got in the Taxi.

"You know it'll cost you, sweetheart? Double rates today." The Taxi driver stated, I held up the hand with the money in

"I have the cash, in hand, here. You'll get it when we get to the church." I said firmly, The Doctor looked at me surprised. The Taxi driver shook his head.

"I need something up front" He said and I sighed taking out a ten and giving it to him.

"Like I said, you get the rest when we get there. Now if you want a tip I suggest you get a shift on!" I demanded.

"Alright alright!" The Taxi driver said annoyed at my attitude "Bloody hell talk about the Christmas spirit!" He said sarcastically.

"Oh it's Christmas?" I asked confused, I looked at the Doctor "How long were we in that box?" I asked confused, the Doctor shrugged

"Apparently until Christmas" he said blankly. I smiled

"Oh well OK. Merry Christmas to you Mr. Taxi driver, and you Donna." I smiled and Donna scoffed

"Can't stand Christmas" she began "Honeymoon in Morocco, nice and warm" she said happily. She looked at her watch and sighed, my heart sank for her

"Did we miss it?" I asked gently

"Yeah." Was her only response

"Well, you can book another date…" The Doctor said gently trying to comfort her

"Course we can" again, was her only response

"And you've still got the Honeymoon" The Doctor tried again

"It's just a holiday now" she said holding back tears

"Yeah…" The Doctor began obviously sympathetic "Sorry…" He said gently

"It's not your fault" Donna whispered lightly.

"That's a change" The Doctor smiled slightly trying to make light of the situation, but it didn't work.

"Wish we had a time machine. Then we could go back and get it right." Donna whimpered longingly, he eyes welling up. I looked at the Doctor and he looked at me

"... Yeah, yeah. But... even if I did, I couldn't go back on someone's personal timeline. Apparently." He stated shiftily, Donna gave him a suspicious look but then kept her head down for the rest of the journey. The Taxi driver dropped us off at the venue and the Doctor stopped Donna as she went to walk in he pulled out what looked like a wedding ring from his pocket

"Do you have to rub it in?" she asked sadly

"This is a bio-damper. Should keep you hidden." He said gently she looked at him

"What for?"

"Just trust me, I have a bad feeling about whatever pulled you into the Tardis" He held the ring out to her and she nodded and slipped it onto her finger

"With this ring I thee bio-damp" he joked, Donna smiled in response

"For better or worse" She lead us inside where a party was happening. Donna looks around, she stands crossly and folds her arms, I took a step back from her sensing the danger as the room fell silent

"You had the reception without me?" she said in a low dark voice. A man in a suit, different to anyone elses stepped forward. I assumed he was the groom

"Donna... what happened to ya?" He asked his angry fiancé. Donna raised her voice slightly

"You had the reception without me?" There was an awkward pause, the Doctor grabbed my wrist and pulled me to Donna's side along with him

"Hello! I'm the Doctor" He said cheerfully "This is Lily" He introduced us and I smiled wearily. Donna turned to look at us, still shouting

"They had the reception without me!" She boomed, the Doctor shrunk back slighty

"Yes, I gathered" He said quietly

"Well, it was all paid for - why not?" Came a female voice, I looked to find it had came from a tall blond woman caked in make-up. Donna looked at her with an expression that might lead one to believe she had just smelled a bad smell.

"Thank you, Nerys!" She barked at the woman. An older woman approached Donna and began shouting

"Well, what were we supposed to do? What the hell happened? How did you do it? I mean, what's the trick because I'd love to know—" the whole room started talking at the same time I could hardly hear myself think until the sound of sobs seemed to overpower every other sound, Donna had burst into tears. The rooms babble turned into a chorus of 'aww's at Donnas sadness, her groom hugged her and she cried on his shoulder, the room applauded. Donna looked at us over Lances shoulder and winked, I could only smile in admiration, thinking to myself I would have to get her to teach me that trick. The party continued and the Doctor, Donna and I were stood at the bar talking

"I spend last Christmas day at The Powell Estate. With this… family. My friends family." He was telling Donna about his last Christmas "Still…" he began sadly "she's gone now" He and Donna began talking about it and I excused myself to use the toilet, when I returned I heard snippets of their current conversation

"So…" Donna began "I may not be married but what a party" she smiled trying to make light of everything. The Doctor sighed and looked around as if reminiscing

"Married eh? I was almost married once" he said thinking back fondly, I listened intently. I never would've thought that of him. I slowly walked up behind him trying not to startle him

"You were?" I began as he turned around surprised "I didn't know that" I said smiling. Donna looked as if she thought she'd caused a domestic. I don't think she knew we weren't together. The Doctor looked at the floor

"Yes well" he began "She died…" his voice laced with sadness "a long time ago" I sighed and put my hand on his arm

"I'm sorry Doctor" I said sympathetically

"What happened to her?" Donna asked lightly. The Doctors eyes seemed to water and my heart broke to pieces to see it. He looked up and sniffed, forcing the tears back and forcing himself to perk up

"Question is, what do camouflaged robot mercenaries want with you? And how did you get inside the Tardis? I don't know..." he said looking Donna up and down

"Hang on!" Donna almost shouted at him "Robot mercenaries? You never mentioned those!" She boomed

"Didn't I?" The Doctor asked, as casually as he would if he'd forgotten to pick up milk, he looked at me and I shook my head

"Yes you definitely left that bit out Doctor"

"Oh" he began "Well I should've mentioned it" he said smiling, I folded my arms and raised an eyebrow

"Explain…" I said to him in a firm voice, he sighed

"Well… They're your basic robo-scavenger. The Father Christmas stuff is just a disguise. They're trying to blend in. I met them last Christmas." He said and I glared at him sighing

"And where the hell did you meet them today?" I said raising my voice slightly

"Oh at the cash machine" he explained "that's why I gave Donna the ring, they may be looking for her" He said with a sheepish smile, like a child might do if they were in trouble. I glared at him and sighed as Donna ran off into the woman's bathroom for what I could only assume was a moment of quiet. I rubbed the bridge of my nose snapping at him a little as I went to follow her,

"How could ANYONE forget to mention that?"


	13. Session 13: Unlucky for Some

"Donna?" I called gently as I entered the woman's bathroom. I looked around, there was no one there but there was one locked cubicle. I knocked "Donna are you in there?"

"What?" she snapped from the other side of the door. I stepped back

"You're not... busy in there are you?" I asked awkwardly, the door swung open and she stormed out, leaning on counter to look in the mirror.

"No!" She snapped as she exited. I stood beside her at the sinks

"I don't know what to say to make you feel better." I began "All I can tell you is what I know, and honestly... that's not much more than you." She looked up from the sink at me with a furrowed brow, I hung my head and sighed "I haven't known the Doctor very long but I'd trust him with anything and everything I hold dear. He saved the lives of so many people... well to me it was yesterday... I don't know how long ago it was in regular time..." I thought out loud, Donna gasped and stepped back, tears coming to her eyes I held up my eyes realising it was a lot easier to freak people out than I thought.

"Sorry, sorry!" I said gently "It's amazing how easy it is to forget how weird this is..." Donna sighed deciding she'd give me a chance to speak. I continued "Like I said, all I can tell you is what I know. I know the Doctor is a great man, there could be many reasons why he... neglected to mention that very important fact." I said the last part of my sentence a little bit darker as if he could hear me but decided rather than to remain annoyed to just continue "I'm not going to pretend I don't care that he didn't tell us, but maybe there was a good reason... Donna maybe he just wanted you to enjoy what you could of your day, I mean... you have that ring so you're safe, and even if the ring didn't work then it's not like The Doctor wouldn't be there to keep you safe." I explained, she sighed as if she was slowly coming around

"What about you?" She asked quietly

"Oh me?" I said surprised "I'm still learning the basics you don't want to put your life in my hands just yet, but his are fine" I smiled and Donna did too.

"What about his friend?" She asked quietly "What happened to her?" I sighed and looked Donna square in the eye

"She's alive and safer than she's ever been." I said gently "You can trust The Doctor, and even if you can't you can trust me and I'm telling you that you CAN trust him." I smiled "Now come on, there's a party out there for you and you're stood all glum in here, let's go." I lead Donna to the door but shushed her just as we got there, I pushed the door quickly and it came in contact with someone's head. I heard the voice of the Doctor utter a surprised 'ouch' and I smiled "That's what you get for eaves dropping!" I walked to a nearby wall and leaned on it looking at the Doctor, smiling as he rubbed his head "So... about these Robots?"

"Right!" He began pulling out his strange pen that he STILL hadn't explained to me and began beeping Donna, "What's your job?" he asked casually

"I'm a secretary" she replied watching the pen move up and down. The Doctor continued scanning her

"It's weird, I mean - you're not special, you're not powerful, you're not connected, you're not clever, you're not important... It's weird, I mean - you're not special, you're not powerful, you're not connected, you're not clever, you're not important..." he mumbled to himself, Donna looked at me

"How haven't you punched him in the face yet?" I smiled and shrugged

"Guess he's growing on me" I smiled and the Doctor looked at me for a moment before returning his attention to Donna who whacked the pen away

"Stop beeping me!" She demanded, I held in my laughter but the Doctor just ignored her

"What kind of secretary?" He asked

"I'm at HC Clements. It's where I met Lance. I was temping." I smiled as Donna began her story "I mean, it was all a bit posh really. I'd spent the last two years at a double glazing firm. Well, I thought - I'm never gonna fit in here. And then he made me coffee" She said it with a huge smile as if it was the most romantic gesture someone could give "I mean, that just doesn't happen. Nobody gets the secretaries a coffee. And Lance - he's the head of HR! He don't need to bother with me! But he was nice, he was funny." She spoke affectionately, it made me smile but then again I was hardly ever not smiling since I met the Doctor, he must be contagious.

But Donna's story, as happy as it was, upset me to an extent. My life was always conflicting, part of me wanted nothing more than to get married and have kids, but then again. I knew I couldn't live like a normal human anymore. Not since meeting the Doctor, there was nobody else I'd rather be with. I didn't even mean that in a Romantic way, but in the space of what felt to me like twenty four hours, the Doctor had been came the central figure in my life and now I couldn't picture anything else but a lifetime as his companion. He'd brought me back from the brink of suicide and I don't even know how, he didn't do anything but make me tell him about it, but even before then… just being around him made me not want to leave. Part of me thought that maybe I didn't even want to, but I knew that wasn't true… I remember wanting nothing more at once point. I wondered what he'd done to me to make my mind do a complete U-turn. It was as if I knew him already and couldn't bear the thought of leaving him… I felt like I'd never be able to figure it out.

"And it turns out he thought everyone else was really snotty too. So that's how it started, me and him - one cup of coffee. That was it." I was brought back to reality as Donna concluded her story with a smile, The Doctor didn't look at all touched, maybe he was thinking about his late fiancé?

"Six months ago" Donna replied casually, The Doctor seemed surprised

"Bit quick, to get married" he responded, trying not to sound judgmental

"He insisted" Donna defended "And he nagged and nagged and nagged until finally he wore me down and I just gave in"

"What does HC Clements do?" The Doctor asked, seemingly ignoring everything Donna just told him

"Oh, security systems, you know... entry codes, ID cards - that sort of thing." She smiled to herself "If you ask me its just a posh name for 'locksmiths'" The Doctor was thinking hard to himself, he muttered the word 'keys' musingly. Donna interrupted his thoughts "Anyway enough of my CV, I have a sort-of husband over there waiting, enjoy yourselves" She beamed and left us alone as she went to be with her fiancé.

"Doctor?" I said trying to get his attention "What are you thinking?" I asked

"I need to do some research…" He replied quietly "Do you have your phone?" he asked and I nodded handing it over, He took out his pen and used it on my phone, my brow furrowed

"What IS that?" I asked trying to get a closer look

"Screwdriver." He replied bluntly

"What KIND of screwdriver?" I pressed raising an eyebrow

"Sonic." He replied again with only one word. I sighed and glared at him

"Loads of help you are!" I said and tried to ignore what he was doing but my curiosity got the better of me "what does it do?" I asked looking at him out of the corner of my eye

"Everything." He replied and I groaned, annoyed.

"Have you lost the ability to reply to me in more than one word?" I asked mockingly

"No." He responded again and I thumped him in the arm. He jumped and looked at me shocked

"What was that for?" He demanded. I only smiled

"That's better!" I said satisfied. He shook his head at me smiling.

"You haven't changed at all Lillian." He said happily. Changing the subject before I could ask questions he showed me the phone "Look at this." He said, the words 'Sole Prop. TORCHWOOD' were displayed on the screen. I looked up at him, wondering if it meant what I thought it did, but his expression gave nothing away. He seemed to notice a camera man recording the whole event, he urged me to follow him over. When I joined him the tape was already playing

"I taped the whole thing - they've all had a look. They said "sell it to You've Been Framed". I said "more like the News". Here we are..." Said the camera man as the tape played, The camera was zoomed in on Donnas face as she just seemed to vanish into gold dust.

"Can't be! Play it again" The Doctor ordered, the camera man rewound the tape and played it again

"Clever, mind! Good trick, I'll give her that. I was clapping." The camera man said trying to make conversation, the Doctor ignored him, watching the tape with furrowed brow

"But that looks like... Huon Particles!" The Doctor was talking to himself, The camera man and I shared a confused glance

"What's that?" Both he and I asked simultaneously.

"That's impossible" The Doctor began "that's... ancient! Huon energy doesn't exist anymore, not for billions of years! So old that..." The Doctor paused and I bit my lip concerned "it can't be hidden by a bio-damper!" He concluded. My heart skipped, I looked out of a window to see a group of Santas making their way to the room, I called the Doctor over.

"I don't suppose they're carol singers?" I asked with a shaky voice, The Doctor rushed over to Donna, I quickly followed

"Donna! Donna!" He yelled eventually getting her attention away from Lance "They've found you"

"But you said I was safe!" She protested

"The bio-damper doesn't work" He explained sorrowfully "We've got to get everyone out!" Donna looked around scared and worried

"Oh my God" She began, terrified "it's all my family"

"Out the back door!" The Doctor shouted snapping her out of her worried trance, we made our way hastily to the back door to come face to… mask with two santas.

"Umm… how about back inside?" I suggested shakily, we ran back inside and each looked out of a window, they were all around us.

"We're trapped" Donna confirmed. The santas are holding some kind of remote control which they hold up, the Doctors attention is immediately drawn to the Christmas tree in the centre of the room.

"Christmas trees…" He mumbled to himself

"What about them?" Donna asked as I kept watching the intruders outside

"They kill." The Doctor said quickly before running into the crowd commanding everyone to get away from the tree, this ripped my attention away from the window. Donna joined in rounding groups of children up and moving them from it, I did the same. The same elderly woman who scolded Donna when she first arrived approached us.

"Oh, for God's sakes, the man's an idiot! Why? What's a Christmas tree gonna... oh!" She trailed off as the baubles on the tree began to float and do a strange dance, the crowd's reaction was mixed and confused. They began to get excited until the baubles began dive bombing and exploding around everyone, people were running and hiding for cover. I felt shards skeet past me as I attempted to do the same, I noticed a little girl stood panicked in the centre of the room, like a deer in headlights. I ran over and reached out for her hand, as I did I felt a streak of heat skid across my arm, but I ignored it pulling the little girl towards me I hid with her behind an arm chair, I held her close to me sheltering her from the racing shards, she was crying, terrified. I shushed her as best I could using my arms to protect her. Meanwhile the Doctor dodged the explosive balls and rushed up to the DJ's stand. I heard his voice shout out

"Oi Santa!" he shouted "Word of advice: if you're attacking a man with a sonic screwdriver..." He spoke into the microphone "Don't let him near the sound system!" He held the screwdriver to the amplifiers and it emitted a horrible high pitched screech, I covered the girls ears and in a sweet attempt to protect me she lifted up her small hands to cover mine as best she could. The santas began vibrating violently and bit by bit fell to pieces. The Doctor removed the screwdriver and went to examine the robots. I slowly emerged from behind the chair. Allowing the child to do so once it was safe. I knelt down in front of her and smiled

"You were very brave there sweetie" I said gently as she wiped away the last of her scared tears "Are you hurt?" I asked looking her up and down, she shook her head and I smiled again. "Oh good, what's your name?" I asked her and she spoke quietly with a shaky voice "Angelica" She replied. I stood up and offered her my hand "That's a lovely name" I said gently "Let's go find your parents then Angelica" Almost as soon as I'd gotten up a couple raced over. The mother snatched the girl up and hugged her tightly, crying babbling to her daughter how worried she was, her father placed a strong hand on my shoulder and looked me square in the eye

"Thank you." He said in a deeply grateful voice. I nodded and waved to Angelica smiling reassuringly. Her father left and I looked at the crowd. I jumped behind the bar in search of a first aid kit and began helping out as best I could. I was tending an elderly woman who'd been cut across her leg, I finished tying the bandage and paused feeling slow growing pain in my lower left arm

"Something hurts…" I said confused as I looked at my arm which was now sliced open and pouring of blood "Oh." I said casually "well that explains that".


	14. Session 14: Pencil in a Mug

"Are you alright?" asked the old lady I was helping.

"Yeah" I replied happily "Not even that deep." I replied as I tried to shush a crying child who'd cut his knee

"Are you sure?" The old lady's husband added "It looks like a lot of blood". I only smiled

"It's only a scratch I can hardly feel it!" I began "I'll have plenty of time to put a plaster on it after I've finished with this little soldier" I said smiling at the young boy who was calming down. I was lying through my teeth to them, but the Doctor had bigger things to worry about and Donna was already panicking, in truth the pain was making my grind my teeth whenever I wasn't speaking and it was even making me sweat. By this point the Doctor was speaking to Donna about the controls

"Look at that, remote control for the decorations" he said holding up one controller, and then another followed "And a remote control for the robots! They're not scavengers anymore. I think someone's taken possession." He examined the head of one of the robots

"Never mind all that!" Donna demanded "People have been hurt!"

"Nah, they wanted you alive, look" he threw her a bauble "They're not active now"

"Doctor Lily's been hurt, she's the only one helping and doesn't seem to get that she needs help herself. YOU could help." Donna said trying to push him to help. The Doctor looked over his shoulder at where I was. I'd finished tending the little boy and through gritted teeth sent him on his way. I sat back for a second trying to ignore the intense pain before shaking it off and checking to see if anyone else needed help. Thank god no one did. I stumbled into an arm chair and took hold of my bleeding arm, only then letting out a restrained groan of pain. The Doctor approached me slowly smiling down at me

"Well, well, well Lillian" he began joyfully "Can't take you anywhere can I?" He knelt down in front of me "Let me see that"

"Give it to me straight Doc" I said with a pained grin "How long have I got?"

"Oh that's terrible" He said smiling, he took out a bandage and began un raveling it. Donna rushed over

"You alright Lily?" she asked worriedly I nodded quickly stopping the Doctor I got up out of the chair and hopped over the bar with my good arm, I picked up two bottles of beer and placed them on the bar hopping back over and picking them both up in the hand of my good arm. I opened them at the bar and walked back over handing one to Donna and keeping the other for myself

"Is that such a good idea?" The Doctor said trying to grab the bottle from me, I pulled it back keeping it out of his reach

"Hey, it's a party remember!" I said defensively "It's only one. Promise" He looked back to my arm shaking his head. Donna was already drinking hers. I looked down at him, he looked disappointed. I sighed and put the bottle down on a nearby table.

"Fine" I said sulking "But you owe me a drink" He was looking intently at my arm, brow furrowed. I looked at it too, it looked deep-ish but not serious "What?" I asked suddenly becoming concerned

"It's deep" was all he said, my heart sank

"And?" I asked quickly and loudly he looked up at me

"Might need stitches" he said pondering for a moment he turned to the crowd and shouted "We have someone in need of serious medical attention, someone either call an ambulance or drive her to hospital or… I don't know if there's a doctor here just… get her some attention of the medical kind." I stood up quickly horrified

"No!" I said loudly. The Doctor began babbling how dangerous it would be to take me with him, what could happen to me. I snatched the bandages off him and caught his eye, silencing him. "No." I repeated darkly and he sighed as I started to wrap the bandage around my arm tightly.

"You could lose too much blood, what happens if you pass out?" he asked in a strict hushed tone. I finished tying the bandage tightly and looked up at him.

"I won't. This can wait" I said as I rolled my sleeve down over the bandage. I snatched the robot head from him "This cant."

"Alright" he said taking the head back from me "Come on" he said quietly walking quickly outside, Donna and I followed to find him scanning the head with his screwdriver "There's someone behind this, directing the robo-force."

"But why is it me?" Donna asked "What have I done?"

"If we find the controller, well find that out" He lifted the screwdriver into the air, it looked like it was leading him, he stared at the sky "It's something up there, something in the sky"

"The sky?" I asked looking up holding onto my bandaged arm, I had nothing for the pain so it was still hurting, but I wouldn't allow myself to crumble like I did in Torchwood. I knew if I was to travel with the Doctor, I had to become stronger. The screwdriver began beeping, the Doctor brought it back down to eye level.

"I've lost the signal - Donna, we've got to get to your office, H C Clements. I think that's where it all started." He turned to Donna's fiancé "Lance - is it Lance? Can you give me a lift?" The Doctor quickly darted off without waiting for an answer, I followed him quickly. We all got into Lance's car and drove off. We arrived there a few minutes later. We ran right inside and Donna lead us to her office "This might just be a locksmiths, but H C Clements was brought up twenty three years ago by the Torchwood Institute." The Doctor explained, I looked at him and he smiled at me.

"You what?" I asked unsure of what I just heard

"Yep" was the Doctors only response "Welcome back Lily"

"Who were they?" asked Donna

"They were behind the battle of Canary Wharf." The Doctor explained, Donna just looked at him blankly "…Cyberman invasion" he continued, she didn't respond "Skies over London full of Daleks?" He tried again, she seemed to click

"Oh I was in Spain" she explained

"There were Cybermen in Spain." The Doctor stated curiously

"Scuba diving" Donna responded. I chuckled

"That big picture Donna, you keep missing it" The Doctor responded whilst thoughtfully scouring for a computer "Torchwood was destroyed, but H C Clements stayed in business. I think... someone else came in and took over the operation." He whacked the computer but to no prevail

"What do they want with me?" Donna asked helplessly, he looked at her, giving her his full attention.

"Somehow you've been dosed with Huon energy. And that's a problem because Huon energy hasn't existed since the Dark times. The only place you'd find a Huon particle now is a remnant in the heart of the TARDIS. See? That's what happened. Say... that's the Tardis" He picked up a mug and showed it to Donna, I walked closer to watch the demonstration for myself "And that's you" he picked up a pencil "The particles inside you activated. The two sets of particles magnetised and WHAP!" He threw the pencil into the mug "You were pulled inside the Tardis" He explained Donna spoke weakly, almost in a whimper

"I'm a pencil in a mug?" she asked almost whispering, the Doctor continued casually

"Yes, you are. 4H. Sums you up. Lance? What was H C Clements working on? Anything top secret? Special operations? Do not enter?" He asked quickly diverting his attention to Lance who was defensive

"I don't know, I'm in charge of personnel. I wasn't project manager." He defended The Doctor finally took out his screwdriver and used it on the screen, it displayed a page instantly which the Doctor seemed very content with.

"Why am I even explaining myself? What the hell are we talking about?" Lance barked, becoming panicked by the situation.

"They make keys, that's the point. And look at this..." The Doctor turned the screen to reveal a 3D plan of the building, we all looked, I closely inspected it, trying to find whatever I was supposed to be looking at. I couldn't find anything. "We're on the third floor" The Doctor added, perhaps trying to give us something else to go on but it didn't help one bit. He quickly jumped up and left the room, I instantly ran after him leaving Donna to urge Lance to follow. I met him outside calling lift, we were joined shortly by Donna and Lance. "Underneath reception, there's a basement, yes?" He asked as the doors to the lift pinged open. He went inside and looked at the controls "Then how come when you look on the lift, there's a button marked 'lower basement'? There's a whole floor which doesn't exist on the official plans. So what's down there, then?" I stepped him after look to see for myself. It was there, sure as anything.

"Are you telling me this building's got a secret floor?" Lance asked

"No I'm showing you" responded the Doctor bluntly

"It needs a key" Donna pointed out noticing the lock

"I don't." responded the Doctor simply, pulling out his screwdriver and using it on the lock "Right then, thanks you two, I can handle this - see you later." He began looking at Donna and Lance, he gently moved me out of the lift but didn't let go once I was out instead he kept his hands on my arms and looked straight down into my eyes "and you" he addressed me in a more serious tone "Please go to hospital" he said looking down at my arm, I rolled my sleeve up to find the blood had seeped through every layer of bandage I'd wrapped around it. I looked up at him to be met with a pleading gaze. I rolled my sleeve back down and smiled.

"I told you no". He sighed and tightened his grip on me, looking away for a moment

"Please" he begged again I sighed and he looked down at me again

"'Please' all you like" I began "I'm not leaving you" he seemed to tense after this, his hands slipped from my upper arm to my elbows as his grip loosened

"If anything happened to you I couldn't forgive myself" He tried again in a final attempt

"I learned in Torchwood that I'm safer with you than anywhere else" I stared into his eyes "STOP trying to get rid of me" I smiled and he smiled back

"Fine" he said defeated "Just don't bloody die!" he ordered I smiled getting back into the lift

"How useless do you think I am?"

"Well if she can go so can I!" demanded Donna "These things are after me I'm not letting you out of my sight!" She got into the lift next to him and he sighed

"Going down" he said readying the button

"Lance?" Donna said his name as an inquiry as to if he'd join us

"Maybe I should go to the police" He said weakly

"Inside" Donna ordered, he meekly joined us in the lift

"To honor and obey?" Said the Doctor quietly

"Tell me about it mate" Lance responded tiredly

"Oi!" Donna barked. I chuckled slightly but flinched when Lance accidently knocked my arm, I didn't say anything. It was beginning to feel cold and numb but still painful if I moved it too much. I admit, I was beginning to worry about it, scared I was losing too much blood but I couldn't risk leaving the Doctor incase he'd be gone when I came back to find him. I swallowed my fear, hoping it wouldn't be much longer until we could get to a hospital. I held onto my arm gently and began breathing deeply trying to calm myself as the lift began to descend.


	15. Session 15: Domestics

The lift pinged open when we reached the lower basement, we stepped out into a long dark corridor, it was dimly lit yet the light, with its sickly green tinge, was no comfort.

"Where are we? Well, what goes on down here?" Donna asked almost quietly, for her anyway.

"Let's find out…" The Doctor responded, beginning to walk ahead

"Do you think Mr. Clements knows about this place?" Donna asked. I thought about her question for a second thinking well, how could he not? But then again, I didn't know that huge building near where I lived for almost three four years was Torchwood.

"The mysterious H C Clements?" The Doctor began "I think he's part of it." He looked away for a moment as something caught his eye "Oh look, transport!" He walked quickly over to a group of electric scooters, I looked up at the Doctor and raised my eyebrow

"Really?"

"Yes really." He responded happily "Come on Lily it'll be fun". I sighed and stood on one of the scooters, everyone else doing the same, we began speeding down the corridor, half way down Donna burst out laughing, causing all of us to do the same, I looked over at the Doctor who smiled at me

"You're completely ridiculous!" I shouted over the laughter whilst laughing myself

"Of course I am!" He shouted happily. We eventually came to a door that had the words 'torchwood authorized personnel only' printed on it. We all dismounted our scooters as the Doctor turned a wheel on the door to open it, it revealed a ladder. The Doctor peered upwards speaking to all of us as he did

"Wait here. Just need to get my bearings. Don't..." he pointed at each of us sternly "do anything." He completed. I was offended that he was CONSTANTLY trying to leave me behind but I guess he had to do some stuff on his own, as much as I didn't like it.

"You'd better come back" I demanded

"Like you'd let me leave you behind Lily" He winked and smiled

"You can't charm yourself out of this one" I joked "if something up there snatches you they'd better kill you before I do"

"See that's why I love you Lily" He joked back "You know exactly what to say"

"Just hurry up" I responded as he turned his back on me to climb the ladder, I heard Donna and Lance speaking in hushed tones behind me

"Donna... have you thought about this? Properly? I mean, this is serious! What the hell are we gonna do?" Lance barked at her in a whisper, she wasn't really listening

"Oh I was thinking July" she said happily. The Doctor disappeared for a while but shortly returned back into sight, he climbed down and jumped off the last few rungs of the ladder

"Thames flood barrier! Right on top of us. Torchwood snuck in and built this place underneath." He explained

"So… essentially we're stood in a secret base… build under a London landmark?" I asked trying to line everything up correctly

"I know" began the Doctor "unheard of!"

We made our way to a different door and entered, it was a huge lab with giant bubbling tubes and chemistry equipment

"Oh, look at this! Stunning! Particle extrusion!" The Doctor said excitedly scouring the lab. I was investigating a tube, I flicked the glass at one point and all the bubbles near where I tapped seemed to flee

"What now?" I inquired

"Particle extrusion. Hold on..." He started, he darted over to a tube and tapped it himself "Brilliant. They've been manufacturing Huon particles. In case my people got rid of Huons, they unravelled the atomic structure."

"Doesn't really answer my question" I replied under my voice

"Your people? Who are they? What company do you represent?" Lance questioned him

"Oh, I'm a freelancer. But this lot are rebuilding them. They've been using the river! Extruding them through a flat hydrogen base so they've got the end result - Huon particles in liquid form." The Doctor responded, I walked over to the Doctor speaking as I did

"You know how you said we have forever?" I began "How much of that am I going to spend trying to make sense of what you say?" I asked partly joking

"Oh…" He began thoughtfully "Most of it". He picked up a small test tube.

"And that's what's inside me?" Donna asked nervously. The Doctor turned a knob at the top of the test tube making both the contents and Donna glow gold

"Oh my God" she whimpered

"Because the particles are inert - they need something living to catalyse inside and that's you. Saturate the body and then... HA!" We all jumped as the Doctor began to get madly enthused again "The wedding! Yes, you're getting married, that's it! Best day of your life, walking down the aisle - oh, your body's a battleground! There's a chemical war inside! Adrenaline, acetylcholine, WHAM go the endorphins, oh you're cooking! Yeah, you're like a walking oven! A pressure cooker, a microwave, all churning away, the particles reach boiling point, SHAZAM!" He was cut off again by Donna's hand coming into contact with his face "What did I do that time?" He demanded

"Are you enjoying this?" She barked. The Doctor stepped back and remained silent "Right, just tell me - these particles, are they dangerous? Am I safe?" she asked worriedly

"Yes" The Doctor responded. He sounded less than convincing

"Doctor... if your lot got rid of Huon particles... why did they do that?" She asked obviously not sounding too convinced either

"Because they were deadly" I responded, I was surprised at myself, thinking I'd zoned out but I spoke as if I was entranced, I could tell the Doctor noticed too, but at the moment, Donna was the one who needed attended to

"Oh, my god" she whimpered, believing herself to be dying

"I'll sort it out, Donna. Whatever's been done to you, I'll reverse it. I'm not about to lose someone else." He said to her comfortingly, she seemed reassured for a short while

"Oh she is long since lost" Came a voice from what seemed like nowhere, it was a snake like voice, it hissed as it spoke, sounding eternally bitter. A wall began moving to reveal a secret chamber with a gigantic hole in the floor. "I have waited so long, hibernating at the edge of the universe..." Came the hissing voice again. I heard hurrying footsteps and turned to see Lance running as fast as he could. I snarled at him believing him to be a coward and turned my attention back to the Doctor "... until the secret heart was uncovered and called out to waken!" Came the voice once more, almost instantly the walls were lined with robots in black hoods, every one of them armed. The Doctor walked towards the hole, unphased. I didn't want him to go near it in case something jumped up and pulled him down.

"Someone's been digging..." He began "oh, very Torchwood. Drilled by laser. How far down does it go?" He asked the disembodied voice almost mockingly

"Down and down, all the way to the centre of the Earth!" The voice replied

"Really? Seriously? What for?" He asked, Donna shuffled forward

"Dinosaurs!" she said randomly

"What?" I said with a slight chuckle

"Dinosaurs?" she repeated less confidently

"What are you on about, dinosaurs?" The Doctor asked

"That film, Under the Earth, with dinosaurs. Trying to help!" she defended

"That's not helping" Replied the Doctor

"Such a sweet couple" mocked the voice

"Only a madman talks to thin air and trust me, you don't want to make me mad. Where are you?" He shouted into the air

"High in the sky, floating so high on Christmas Night." The voice hissed

"I didn't come all this way to talk on the intercom! Come on, let's have a look at you!" The Doctor again shouted into the sky, I really didn't want whatever that voice belonged to, to join us nothing seemed good about it at all.

"Who are you with such command?" Inquired the voice

"I'm The Doctor" Replied the Doctor proudly, he sounded so strong and powerful, it gave me goose bumps.

"Prepare your best medicines, doctor-man, for you will be sick at heart." A figure was teleported into the room, a giant spider, blood red and disgusting, body of a woman on top. Her teeth were black and her skin red and looked as if it was rotting.

"The Racnoss... but that's impossible, you're one of the Racnoss!" The Doctor stated in disbelief.

"Empress of the Racnoss!" The thing boomed. I felt sick, my heart raced and I tensed, stepping back watching the thing before us snarl and growl. I found myself nearing the Doctor for protection. I touched his arm with my hand as I stepped behind him slightly.

"What's the matter with you?" he asked

"I bloody hate spiders!" I said shivering.

"If you're the Empress, where's the rest of the Racnoss? Or... are you the only one?" The Doctor asked the thing, keeping his strong front

"Such a sharp mind" It hissed back sarcastically

"That's it, the last of your kind." He turned his attention to Donna and I "The Racnoss come from the Dark Times, billions of years ago, billions. They were carnivores, omnivores, they devoured whole planets."

"Yet they still understand and use sarcasm…" I said quietly to myself, I heard Donna chuckle.

"Racnoss are born starving, is that our fault?" Defended the 'empress'

"They eat people?" Donna asked?

"H C Clements, did he wear those- those erm, black and white shoes?" The Doctor asked, seemingly changing the subject

"He did! We used to laugh, we used to call him the fat cat in spats." Donna said, almost laughing. The Doctor nodded and pointed to a web on the ceiling, there was a pair of black and white shoes still there, only a small amount of the poor victims legs were poking out of the web.

"Oh my God" Donna gasped helplessly. The empress cackled

"My Christmas dinner" She cackled and took a deep breath in through what I assumed was her nose. "Oh, and an injured little fly for dessert… a bleeding little bridesmaid" it spoke… hungrily. It looked right at me and the Doctor pushed me even further behind him.

"You shouldn't even exist! Way back in history, the Fledgling Empires went to war against the Racnoss - they were wiped out." He barked at it.

"Except for me" Hissed the empress boastingly. I noticed Lance appear on a balcony above the empress wielding an axe. He motioned to Donna and I to be quiet.

"But that's what I've got inside me, that Huon energy thing. Oi! Look at me, lady, I'm talking. Where do I fit in? How comes I get all stacked up with these Huon particles?" Donna shouted at the thing trying to keep its attention "Look at me, you! Look me in the eye and tell me."

"The bride is so feisty" It hissed at Donna

"Yes, I am! And I don't know what you are, you big... thing. But a spider's just a spider and an axe is an axe! Now, do it!" She shouted at Lance who swung the axe, the empress turned to face him and hissed. Suddenly, Lance stopped. Both he, and the empress began laughing

"That was a good one. Your face!" He said to it

"Lance is funny" it hissed happily

"What?" Donna gasped, mortified.

"I'm sorry…" said the Doctor sympathetically

"Sorry for what?" She demanded "Lance, don't be so stupid! Get her!"

"God, she's thick" Lance spat, looking at Donna with disgust "Months I had to put up with her. Months. A woman who can't even point to Germany on a map."

"I don't understand" she whimpered

"How did you meet him?" asked the Doctor

"In the office" She replied

"He made you coffee" The Doctor reminded her

"What?" she asked, voice cracking. Lance spoke as if addressing an idiot

"Every day, I made you coffee." He snapped at her

"You had to be dosed with liquid particles over six months." The Doctor explained further

"He was poisoning me?" Donna asked, finally beginning to understand

"It was all there in the job title - the Head of Human Resources." The Doctor continued

"This time, it's personnel." Lance said, he and the empress laughed.

"But… we were getting married" Donna whimpered devastated

"Well, I couldn't risk you running off. I had to say yes. And then I was stuck with a woman who thinks the height of excitement is a new flavour Pringle. Oh, I had to sit there and listen to all that yap yap yap - "oh, Brad and Angelina - is Posh pregnant?" X Factor, Atkins Diet, Feng Shui, split ends, text me, text me, text me, dear God, the never ending fountain of fat, stupid trivia." He harshly spat at his 'fiancé'. Donna listened to the abuse looking increasingly hurt "I deserve a medal" he said boastingly, my blood boiled and I spat at him

"What you deserve is a punch in the face!" I shouted at him. He only laughed and the empress hissed

"A wounded animal is always more vicious" she snarled at me, the Doctor shushed me and glared at him

"Oh, is that what she's offered you? The Empress of the Racnoss? What are you? Her consort?" he barked at Lance

"It's better than a night with her" he spat. I snarled at him

"But I love you…" Donna whispered pleadingly

"That's what made it easy. It's like you said, Doctor - the big picture - what's the point of it all if the Human Race is nothing? That's what the Empress can give me. The chance to... go out there. To see it. The size of it all. I think you understand that, don't you, Doctor?" He spoke nastily, The Doctor glared

"Who is this little physician?" Hissed the empress

"She said, Martian" explained Lance

"Oh, I'm sort of... homeless. But the point is, what's down here? The Racnoss are extinct. What's gonna help you four thousand miles down? That's just the molten core of the Earth, isn't it?" The Doctor pressed

"I think he wants us to talk" said Lance

"I think so too" responded the empress

"Well, tough! All we need is Donna" Barked Lance, The empress stretched upwards making herself look bigger, she called out to all of the waiting robots around her

"Kill this chattering little doctor-man!"


	16. Session 16: Bad Jokes

I grabbed the Doctor, using him as leverage to push myself in front of him.

"You're not touching him!" I barked at the empress, she scoffed

"No, no, it's alright!" The Doctor said trying to move me gently I was scared, shaking but I looked the empress square in the eye.

"It's not alright!" I shouted digging my heels into the ground "They can't kill you!"

"So be it" Snarled the empress "At arms!" the empress boomed, the robots pointed their guns at the Doctor and I, I reached behind me and grabbed his hand.

"Doctor" I began getting his attention

"Yeah?" He responded

"Y'know how I said I'd stay with you?" I asked

"I recall that yeah..." He said squeezing my hand slightly

"It was for better or worse" I said quietly

"Take aim!" The empress commanded

"Just- just- just- hold on, just a tick, just a tiny- just a little- tick. If you think about it, the particles activated in Donna and drew her inside my spaceship. So, reverse it... the spaceship comes to her." He pulled Donna over by the arm and tweaked the tube of Huon particles again causing Donna and the test tube to glow gold once more I heard the empress scream 'fire' so I closed my eyes, but when I opened them we were in the Tardis. The Doctor rushed over to the controls

"Off we go!" He said to himself. I heard bullets bouncing off the Tardis and the empress screaming on the other side of the walls, suddenly it was quiet. I looked at the Doctor who was speaking to Donna

"Oh, you know what I said before about time machines? Well, I lied. And now we're gonna use it." He said to Donna, I smiled and turned to look out of the window as the Tardis travelled "We need to find out what the Empress of the Racnoss is digging up. If something's buried at the planet core, it must've been there since the beginning. That's just brilliant. Molto bene! I've always wanted to see this. Donna - we're going further back than I've ever been before." I turned from the window to face Donna, I saw her shoulders shuddering, I walked over quickly and she turned to face me with tears in her eyes. I put my hand on her shoulder for comfort but she pulled me into a hug and began sobbing on my shoulder.

"Hey hey hey…" I said gently "Don't be… cry…" I said confused, having never been good with people. I didn't exactly know what to say.

"We've arrived... want to see?" The Doctor said, heading for the door, Donna and I had sat down on a seat

"I s'pose" she said unenthusiastically, The Doctor turned the monitor around

"Oh, that scanner's a bit small. Maybe your way's best." The Doctor said as he walked to the door and waited for us. "Come on!" he said hurrying us, we joined him at the door "No humans ever seen this" he began "You'll be the first" he said smiling

"Hey!" I said feeling left out, he looked over at me with a smirk

"Well you're not human are you?" he asked playfully. I joined them by the door "Welcome to the creation of the world" he said as he pushed the doors open to reveal something amazing, the light of the sun illuminated the floating gas clouds around it and thousands of floating rocks all dancing in the lights. "We've gone back 4.6 billion years. There's no solar system, not yet. Only dust and rocks and gas." He pointed "That's the Sun over there, brand new. Just beginning to burn."

"Where's the earth?" Donna asked

"All around us... in the dust." The Doctor explained with a wonderful amazement in his voice

"Puts the wedding in perspective. Lance was right. We're just... tiny." Donna gasped in wonder

"No, but that's what you do. The human race. Making sense out of chaos. Marking it out with weddings and Christmas and calendars. This whole process is beautiful, but only if it's being observed." He said quietly

"So, I came out of all this?" Donna asked gently

"Amazing isn't it?" The Doctor asked rhetorically

"Oh stop rubbing it in" I said jokingly as a massive chunk of rock floated past the Tardis, I nodded at it "Oh look there goes the neighborhood" They both chuckled

"Lily just… don't make jokes" he said with a chuckle "Eventually, gravity takes hold. Say, one big rock, heavier than the others, starts to pull other rocks towards it. All the dust and gas and elements get pulled in, everything, piling in until you get the..."

"Earth" Donna completed his sentence

"But the question is... what was that first rock?" he asked himself. A star shaped rock emerged from the clouds, Donna pointed it out.

"Look" she said drawing the Doctors attention. The Doctor whispered

"The Racnoss…" He rushed back to the controls and began to turn a wheel frantically "Hold on - the Racnoss are hiding from the war! What's it doing?" He asked himself watching as all of the rocks and gas and dust began to rush towards the giant rock, as if being pulled in by magnets.

"Exactly what you said" I explained, he rushed back to the door to look

"Oh, they didn't just bury something at the centre of the Earth... they became the centre of the Earth. The first rock." I felt the Tardis shudder, we all collapsed to the floor, I landed on top of the Doctor I looked at him for a moment

"That can't be good!" I said

"Not even in the slightest" He responded, we both quickly got up and he slammed the door shut. We all tried to keep or balance as the Tardis shook and shuddered

"What the hell's it doing?" Donna screamed

"Remember that little trick I pulled - particles pulling particles. It works in reverse - they're pulling us back!" The Doctor explained as he desperately tried to control the Tardis, but it didn't seem to be working in the slightest.

"Well, can't you stop it? Hasn't it got a handbrake? Can't you reverse or warp or beam or something?" Donna desperately pressed the Doctor for any kind of solution.

"Backseat driver. Oh! Wait a minute!" He said reaching for some kind of device from underneath the console "The extrapolator! Can't stop us, but it should give us a good bump!" and that it did, the Tardis gave one final and huge shudder and then was still, we all exited into a long corridor. "We're about 200 yards to the right. Come on!" The Doctor ran off, leading us and we followed. We came to the doorway that hid the ladder to the Thames flood barrier, we stopped, panting, out of breath.

"What do we do?" Donna asked terrified. The Doctor appeared to be listening to the door with a stethoscope.

"I don't know! I make it up as I go along! But trust me, I've got a history." He said listening intently to the door

"But I still don't understand. I'm full of particles - but what for?" She asked

"There's a Racnoss web at the centre of the Earth, but my people unravelled their power source. The Huon particles ceased to exist but the Racnoss are stuck. They've just been in hibernation for billions of years. Frozen. Dead. Kaput! So you're the new key. Brand new particles-"

"Doctor!" I screamed cutting him off as a Robot grabbed me, I was lucky, the thing covered my mouth quickly but I only just managed to get his attention, I looked around. They'd already taken Donna. The Doctor groaned and zapped the robot with his screwdriver, the thing began to shudder and just fall apart around me. "They took Donna" I said feeling horribly guilty for not noticing. The Doctor turned away and sighed, he opened the door with his screwdriver to reveal, not a ladder, but an armed robot. He zapped that one too he got to his knees and began stripping the thing of its cloak and dressing himself in it.

"You get that one" he ordered, pointing towards the robot that tried to snatch me, I immediately began to strip it and wrap the cloak around me. I stood up when I was ready and dramatically flicked my hood up over my head, I knelt down slowly to pick up the robots gun and smirked at the Doctor from under the hood.

"Do I look awesome?" I asked jokingly, he smiled

"You look like a woman in a cloak" he responded "come on let's get a move on" he began running towards a different door, I followed as quickly as I could, we reached the lab door and he urged me to move as quiet as I could, we snuck through the lab, catching snippets of the empresses conversation

"Activate the particles, purge every last one!" she screamed, I watched in the reflection of a tube, Donna and Lance began glowing "And release!" She ordered, the golden glow zoomed out of Lance and Donna and down into the unfathomable depths of the hole. "The secret heart unlocks. And they will waken from their sleep of Ages." Her voice seemed to bounce off the walls as she performed what seemed like a sacrificial ceremony

"Who will? What's down there?" Donna asked terrified from her position next to Lance, suspended by webs above the hole.

"How thick are you?" Lance mocked.

"My children, the long lost Racnoss. Now will be born to feast on flesh!" she boomed, bathing in her power, indulging in the chatter now coming from the depths, the chrip of spiders and the scuttle of their feet "the web-star shall come to me". I looked at the Doctor

"Sounds like an internet celebrity" I said, he smiled

"You talk too much" he whispered back

"My babies will be hungry. They need sustenance. Perish the web." The empress spoke more quietly this time but no dominance was lost from her voice, the web began to loosen around Lance

"Use her! Not me! Use her!" Lance begged beginning to struggle

"Oh, my funny little Lance! But you are quite impolite to your lady-friend. The Empress does not approve." The empress hissed at him, the web finally loosened completely and Lance fell to him doom, Donna called out his name in dismay as he fell, I looked at the Doctor who hung his head

"Lily" he began, maybe reading my mind "we couldn't do anything. If we tried to step in now she might have killed them both and we'd all be doomed" he explained, I sighed and hung my head.

"Harvest the humans! Reduce them to meat." The empress ordered an unseen entity. The Doctor motioned for us to move, I followed him hurriedly up the stairs. "My children are climbing towards me and none shall stop them!" She turned to us and hissed "So you might as well unmask, my clever little doctor-man." She snarled at me "You think I couldn't smell you? The bleeding little bridesmaid?" she shouted at me, I looked at the doctor who nodded at me, we both removed the cloaks and masks.

"Oh well. Nice try. I've got you, Donna!" he shouted to Donna, he held up his screwdriver and the web began to loosen, I saw the empress move and I lifted the gun I'd picked up and aimed it at her

"Don't even think about it!" I ordered, she hissed at me and remained still

"You wouldn't!" she hissed

"Wouldn't I?" I asked "I bloody hate spiders, you wouldn't be the first I've squished!" I hissed back and she only stepped on spot and hissed at me every so often, I listened to the conversation between Donna and the Doctor but didn't avert my attention from the empress

"I'm gonna fall!" Donna cried

"No, you're gonna swing" the Doctor corrected her and that's what she did, she used the web to swing over to the staircase where we stood The Doctor reached out for her but she swung underneath the balcony and right into a wall, the empress smirked but I clicked the safety on my gun on and off which wiped the smirk off of her face.

"... oh. Sorry." The Doctor said looking over the balcony at Donna who now lay sprawled on the floor

"Thanks for nothing" she snapped

"The doctor-man amuses me." She hissed happily

"Empress of the Racnoss - I give you one last chance. I can find you a planet. I can find you a place in the universe to coexist. Take that offer and end this now." The Doctor spoke in a loud dominant tone, the empress only smirked

"These men are so funny." She said through the smirk

"And I thought my humor was bad, this thing finds anything funny" I said quietly to myself, the empress hissed

"Perhaps we could discuss this humanely Doctor" she began "if the wounded one lowers her weapon". The Doctor nodded it and I held it by my side

"I will lower it" I began in a dark tone "I will not be left defenseless"

"Such little trust" the empress hissed at me, I snarled

"Well you'll forgive me if I have little trust in the thing that tried only moments ago to kill us" I said tightening my grip on the gun.

"What's your answer?" asked the Doctor loudly, the empress grinned showing off her black teeth and spt the words like venom

"Oh - I'm afraid I have to decline."


	17. Session 17: The Season of Giving

The empress laughed and the Doctor only snarled

"What happens next is your own doing." He warned quietly

"I'll show you what happens next." The empress hissed "at arms!" I raised my own gun as her army of robots did theirs. "Take aim" she barked, my grip on the gun tightened, I knew I was out numbered. "and"

"Relax." The Doctor said quietly, cutting her off, the robots fell limp. I still held my gun up, pointing it at them all.

"What did you do?" asked Donna from below us

"Guess what I've got Donna" he pulled out a remote from one of his pockets "Pockets" he said happily

"How did that fit in there?" she asked

"They're bigger on the inside" he explained, I smiled.

"Robo-forms are not necessary. My children may feast on Martian flesh." The empress hissed

"Oh, but we're not from Mars" the Doctor explained

"Then where?" She demanded

"My home planet is far away and long-since gone. But its name lives on. Gallifrey." He spoke now darkly, with little emotion. The empress hissed with rage, filled with an anger so great.

"They murdered the Racnoss!" She bellowed

"I warned you." He began, maintaining his dark tone "You did this." He produced a handful of small red baubles, the empress panicked

"No! No! Don't! No!" She begged as the Doctor threw several groups of the tiny red orbs into the air, some surrounded the empress, trapping her, others smashed into the walls of the corridor, allowing water to flow in from outside, the rest crashed at the empresses feet, bursting into flames. She wails in despair and anguish as the water that rushed in swirled down the hole in the ground like a giant plughole, undoubtedly drowning the Racnoss that lurked there.

"My children!" she wailed, stricken with grief, she flailed uselessly behind the flames, unable to stop what was happening. I looked at the Doctor who watched silently with dark eyes, pained eyes. The empress was soon engulfed by flames and her screams were not only that of pain, but also of despair.

"No! My children! My children!" She wailed, her cries like nails on a chalkboard

"Doctor, you can stop now!" Donna called from below us. I watched as the Doctor made no effort to move it was almost as if he couldn't hear, I moved closer to him and began shaking his arm

"Doctor!" I called him "Doctor that's enough, please!" I begged trying to snap him out of it, suddenly he shook his head. He looked at me but didn't say anything, he then looked down at Donna.

"Come on! Time I got you out!" he said leading us up the stairs I could hear the empresses cry behind us

"Transport me" she wailed to an unseen entity. He lead us to the ladder that opened up at the flood barrier, we all climbed as quickly as we could

"What about the empress?" Donna shouted above the rushing water

"She's used up all her Huon energy - she's defenceless!" The Doctor explained. We clambered out into the darkness of the night just in time to watch the web star of the Racnoss being shot down by the army. We all cheered, The Doctor grabbed me and squeezed me tightly catching my bad arm as he did. I paused

"Something hurts…" I said forgetting about the wound on my arm, I rolled my sleeve up at the source of the pain seeing the bloody bandages and remembering "Oh right."

"Just... one more thing" Donna said catching her breath

"What's that?" asked the Doctor unravelling the bandages to get a look at the cut on my arm

"We've drained the Thames" she said, I looked around and let out a lone

"Ha!" not long after Donna and the Doctor joined in my laughter. I wiped away a tear that had come during the chorus of laughs and looked up at the Doctor "You're mad!"

"I know" was his only response.

After returning to the Tardis the Doctor agreed to take Donna home, we arrived in her estate and exited the Tardis smiling.

"There we go. Told you she'd be all right. She can survive anything." He said while stroking the Tardis

"More than I've done" Donna responded lowly. The Doctor scanned her with his screwdriver

"Nope! All the Huon particles have gone. No damage, you're fine." He said with a smile

"Yeah, but apart from that... I missed my wedding, lost my job and became a widow on the same day. Sort of." Donna said sadly, I smiled at her

"That's pretty impressive if you ask me" I smiled and she chuckled

"I s'pose" she laughed again "They should make a film about me, how to miss your wedding, lose your job and become a widow in twenty four hours". She hung her head becoming more serious

"I couldn't save him" The Doctor said sympathetically

"He deserved it" she said unfeelingly. The Doctor raised his eyebrows and Donna sighed "No he didn't" she said correcting herself. She looked over her shoulder at the house. "I'd better get inside. They'll be worried."

"Best Christmas present they could have." The Doctor said with a smile as Donnas parents embraced on the other side of the window "Oh, no, I forgot - you hate Christmas." He said

"Yes I do" Donna responded blankly

"Even if it snows?" he pointed his screwdriver at the Tardis causing a ball of light to shoot from the top and into the sky, it exploded like a firework and snow began to fall. My mouth hung open

"I can't believe you just did that!" Donna gawped

"Oh, basic atmospheric excitation." He said casually, Donna smiled

"Merry Christmas" she said happily

"So... what will you do with yourself now?" I asked sheepishly

"Not getting married for starters. And I'm not gonna temp anymore. I dunno... travel... see a bit more of planet Earth... walk in the dust. Just... go out there and do something." She listed with smile, there was a pause "everything we did today... do you live your life like that?" She said looking at both of us

"Not all the time" the Doctor said unconvincingly

"I think you do" she said not believing him either

"But you've seen it out there. It's beautiful." He said happily

"And it's terrible. That place was flooding and burning and they were dying and you were stood there like... I don't know... a stranger. And then you made it snow - I mean, you scare me to death!" She said, but in a different kind of way, she didn't seem at all scared. She seemed happy. There was a slight pause

"Am I ever going to see you again?" she said looking at us "either of you?" The Doctor looked at me with a smile

"If we're lucky"

"Just... promise me one thing" she said gently "find someone."

"I already have someone" he said not looking away from Donna

"Good because…" she paused "Because sometimes, I think you need someone to stop you." The Doctor lowered his voice

"yeah" he almost whispered "Take care of yourself Donna" he said gently. I couldn't contain myself anymore I grabbed Donna and pulled her into a hug

"Be good" I said to her while hugging "and if you can't be good, be careful" I said with a smile, she chuckled.

"Goodbye Donna" The Doctor said with a smile

"Bye" she responded almost in a whisper "Try to stay out of trouble" She said turning to go into her house, she shut the door leaving us outside. I could hear her parents erupt into laughter and praise and joy to have her home, I turned to look at the Doctor.

"You made it snow" I whispered, he only smiled

"Yeah, pretty easy thing to do if you know how" I laughed

"You're just…" I began

"Amazing? Incredible? Handsome? Intelligent?" he asked speaking quickly, I smirked and cut him off

"Weird." I corrected him "But I suppose you're pretty amazing too" I said with a huge grin. I looked up at the snow falling from the sky and something else caught my eye. The Doctor followed my gaze and saw it too. "Mistletoe" I said with a slight chuckle to my voice, he quickly hurried away from the doorstep. "Oh charming!" I said rushing after him I caught up to him and spun him around by the arm "Come 'ere Martian!" I said I grabbed his face and pulled it close to mine, placing my lips on his in a quick kiss, catching him by surprise. I moved away with a smile. "Merry Christmas" I said in a whisper, he sounded flustered and out of breath

"I'm not from Mars" he said in a whisper. I laughed

"Y'know Doctor" I began "You're really, really weird" I said

"Yeah you've said that" The Doctor said with a smile

"No, I mean… I know who you are… but I don't know who you are" I moved away from him and began pacing "You know something about me… about who I was and part of me remembers, it's like muffled voices. The Doctor grabbed my arm and stopped me looking right down into my eyes.

"Try not to think about it and you'll remember soon enough" He smiled. "Let's go home" he said leading me to the Tardis. "By the way, can I get you a coffee?" He asked opening the door I chuckled

"It all started with a coffee" I walked into the Tardis and he followed. I sat down on a seat and rested taking a deep breath. "What a day" I said, The Doctor leaned on the control panel and smiled

"Been fun though" he said grinning. I smiled in return

"If it's OK Doctor" I began looking up at the ceiling "I'd like to visit someone"

"We'll let's fix that first" he said nodding at my arm, he rummaged through a cabinet in another room and returned with a first aid kit. "Sleeve up" He ordered and I rolled my sleeve up. He unraveled the bandage and began cleaning it with… something

"What's that?" I asked

"A healing cream from a planet I visited a few months ago" He began rubbing the cream gently over the wound "Speeds up cell renewal and heals it quicker" he explained "Does this hurt?" he asked looking up at me, I shook my head and he began wrapping it up in clean bandages "Give it a minute" he said tying the bandage, sure as anything my arm began to sting and burn. I winced. "Sorry but trust me it works" I glared at him gripping the side of the chair as my arm continued to burn

"You could've warned me!" I snapped, by now he was skipping around the control panel

"I thought I did" he said with a lyrical tone of voice "Relax it'll stop hurting soon". Sure enough the burning slowly subsided and I sighed a breath of relief "See, now was that so bad?" he asked cheerfully.

"Someone's happy" I said raising an eyebrow

"Of course I am" He began "I just saved the world" I sighed and shook my head grinning "Now then!" He changed the subject "Who is it you want to visit?" I sighed and crossed my legs fidgeting.

"My sister" I began "I want to give her a Christmas present" The Doctor came and sat beside me

"What did you get her?" He asked happily I smiled

"Can't say." I began "It's a surprise"

"Secrets?" he said jokingly "from me?"

"Oh alright" I said giving in "but don't laugh, it's nothing extravagant"

"Would I laugh at you Lillian?" he asked, I smiled and unhooked a thin silver chain from around my neck

"This was my dads, he gave it to me a long time ago." I held the necklace in the palm of my hand, it was a pendant, a coin with a picture of a phoenix in the centre and my father's name and date of birth engraved around it. It hung from a thin silver chain that had been looped around my neck every second of my life since he gave it to me, only ever having been removed when I would shower or bathe. I held it out to him and he took it gently, sensing the sentimental value from the moment I first mentioned it, he looked it over

"Your father…" he began gently "he's not… around anymore… is he?" he asked. I smiled knowing what the real question he wanted to ask was

"He died when I was quite young… cancer." I began "I was there at the hospital when he died, he put this around my neck the last few minutes of his life and I've never taken it off since… of course not including when I bathe, just in case it damaged it. I wore it to keep me safe, I felt like he was with me every moment I had it" He handed it back to me with a smile

"So why give it to your sister?" he asked as I ran my finger over the image on the coin

"Even though my mother was never cruel to her, I still worry. He might not have been her father but I'd feel better if I could just pass on my guardian angel to her, I know she'll keep it safe and I know he'll keep her safe." I smiled and looked up at him "I have someone else watching over me now, someone I know he'd approve of"


	18. Session 18: Christmas Presents

The Doctor smiled for a minute but soon sighed and lowered his head.

"You seem to have gotten the wrong idea about me Lily. I'm probably the most dangerous man in the universe." He spoke lowly and seriously, I only grinned

"Oh stop exaggerating!" I said shoving him he looked at me, his expression not changing

"I'm not kidding Lily." He said, he grabbed my arm diverting my attention to the cut "You wouldn't have gotten that if not for me!" I snatched my arm back

"Wrong." I started "This had nothing to do with you, I could've easily nose dived behind a chair and walked away unscathed. But..." I waited for him to give me his full attention then continued "That would mean leaving that little girl to deal with this" I pointed at the area on my arm that was cut. He sighed and I continued "I'm a twenty one year old..." I paused for thought and continued after mentally correcting myself "eight hundred and something year old woman who's dealt with pain much worse AND who watched as a woman was turned into a robot" I touched the Doctors shoulder "She's just a kid. She was already scared to death, she didn't need an injury to go with it" The Doctor smiled

"I know I keep saying it... but you haven't changed a bit" he pinched my cheeks gently "and that scares me to death" He said quickly getting up, I quickly got up and followed him

"Wait why's that?" I asked panicked I leaned on the control panel near him and he looked down at me smiling

"You're too brave Lillian" he said with a smile "You're wonderful, but you're too brave" he repeated I looked at him confused

"What's that supposed to mean?" I asked, still worried

"It's a good way to get yourself killed" he explained I raised an eyebrow

"You're one to talk!" I said smirking, he quickly changed the subject

"So, this house" he turned back to the controls "where might it be?" he asked.

"Just drop me near the Powell Estate" I began watching him type "It's not too far from there"

"If you insist" he said, he worked the controls and the Tardis shuddered. I quickly grabbed the controls to stop myself falling over, in mere minutes, it was still again. "Are you sure about this?" he asked looking at the row of houses lit up by lights across from us out of the window

"yeah" I began, "It's important I give her something to remember me by"

"And what better than your prized position..." the Doctor concluded, I smiled as I pulled on a jacket and went to open the door

"Exactly" I said turning the handle "It's not about passing on my dad's memory to her, it's about passing on mine". I left the Tardis but the Doctor stayed inside, I turned to look at him "aren't you coming?" I asked

"You want me to?" he responded confused. I nodded

"Would make me feel a hell of a lot better, you don't mind do you?" I asked turning to look at him in the Tardis.

"You don't want to see your sister, alone?" He asked standing in front of me on the other side of the door

"I don't want to see my mother, alone" I corrected him. He suddenly understood and nodded "You don't mind do you?" I asked finally, he smiled and shook his head

"Of course not" he replied stepping through the door. He adjusted something on the Tardis turning it entirely invisible.

"Thank you" I said with a smile as I lead him to my mother's house "How're you holding up by the way?" I asked

"I just turned the Tardis invisible and you're not impressed?" he asked avoiding the subject

"I'm not surprised" I said with a laugh "I feel like I've seen it all"

"You don't act impressed when I do something impressive" he said thoughtfully "Then what on earth is the point in having you around?" he mocked, I shoved him slightly and chuckled.

"Seriously though," I changed the subject "How're you doing?"

"I'm fine" he said with a mock happiness "Why wouldn't I be?"

"Oh come on Doctor, that didn't work the first time you tried it, why would it work now?" I asked

"Would what work?" he walked alongside me looking confused, I folded my arms tightly and tucked my chin close to my chest to keep warm

"The 'I'm fine' act. You're clearly not fine. You're still upset about Rose" I explained, he sighed

"Of course I am, she was my best friend for a long time" He explained, I raised my eyebrow

"You mean... you weren't..." I was treading carefully, trying not to sound too bold, fortunately the Doctor picked up on my question before I got to the awkward bit

"Oh..." He began "No, Rose and I were never like that. Honestly, there have been a few one-sided things over my life but... well none of those women were my wi-... fiancé" he corrected himself at the last minute, I looked at the floor

"One-sided things?" I asked

"Yeah" he began to explain "A lot of women have been interested but I made a promise many years ago when I got engaged. I've never gone back on that promise, not once."

"Your... fiancé..." I began "What was she like?" I asked

"She was the bravest woman I've ever met" he said simply, I smiled and turned a corner

"Well this is it." I said coming face to face with my childhood home, we both stopped and looked at it for a second "Well then, let's go" I said leading the Doctor to the front door. I knocked and stepped back. Within a few minutes I heard the chatter of voices get closer to the door, eventually the handle clicked and the door swung open to reveal my mother, her face dropped when she saw me

"Oh, it's you" she said harshly I glared

"Yes it's me, now where's Izzy?" I asked just as harshly

"What business is it of yours?" she looked me up and down, her facial expression looked as if she'd just smelled a bad smell. "Shouldn't you be dead by now?" she spat. I grinned wickedly

"Well I'm working on it" I spat sarcastically "Why don't you just let me see my sister and I'll be on my way". The woman glared once more and turned on her heel leaving the door only slightly ajar

"No offence Lily but... she's horrible" the Doctor said quietly

"Don't I know it" I mumbled in response. A few more seconds passed and the door creaked open again, this time to reveal a short fair haired teenage girl, her freckled cheeks where powdered with make-up and her hair pulled back and messy, she was wearing pyjamas but her long nails were filed and pained a gentle pink and her eyes lined with faded make-up. I shoved my hands in my jeans pockets taking hold of the necklace. I smiled.

"Been to a party kiddo?" I asked warmly

"Lily?" The girl responded "Where've you been?"

"What a question" I grinned, thinking carefully about my answer "I've been travelling" I looked over my shoulder remembering the Doctor "With my friend here. Izzy this is The Doctor, Doctor this is my little sister Isabella." I introduced them

"Izzy" My sister corrected me "you were right the first time"

"Now then on to more important matters" I began ignoring Izzy's protest "There's something seriously wrong here Izzy"

"What's that?" she asked, leaning on the door.

"Well I haven't seen you since they shipped me off to the clinic, it's Christmas, you're all grown up and more importantly I've been stood here for..." I looked at the Doctors watch "precisely four and a half minutes and you STILL haven't given me a bloody hug!" Izzy smiled and hugged me tightly

"I missed you like hell Lily" she said happily

"I missed you too Izzy" I said squeezing her tightly before letting go "have they been treating you OK?" I asked quietly, she nodded

"Are you going to stay?" she asked, I sighed

"You know I can't" I began rummaging through my pockets again "Listen, I came here to give you something" I said smiling, I pulled the pendant out of my pocket and showed it to her "This was my dads, it's my most prized possession. I want you to have it" I offered it to her and she took it looking at me with a sudden worry in her eyes

"Why?" she asked weakly "where are you going?" I sighed and looked away for a moment thinking carefully.

"Travelling..." I said quietly "It's part of my job."

"What's your job?" she asked looking at me with a furrowed brow, I looked over my shoulder at the Doctor then back at Izzy

"I'm kind of a... worldwide policewoman..." I noticed shadows moving behind the curtains in the living room. They were listening to our conversation, I lowered my voice. "It doesn't necessarily mean anything's going to happen to me, it just means I'll be gone for longer. I want you to have something special to me to remember me by." Izzy tied the necklace around her neck, I could tell by the look on her face that she didn't believe me. I smiled at her reassuringly "That's very special to me, please keep it safe" I asked gently

"Only if you promise to come back" She said giving me a big hug

"Deal" I let her go and stepped back "I'd better go... I'll see you later OK?" I said to her as I turned on my heel

"See you soon Lily" she said, I walked back to the Tardis hearing the door click behind us as she closed it.

"This may not be a good time but, you remember they aren't really your family?" The Doctor said gently "it's important you don't get sucked back in to who you think you are or you'll struggle to remember who you really are" He must've felt horrible saying it but I wasn't angry he was exactly right

"I know" I said casually "You're right but just because we're not related doesn't mean Izzy's not my little sister and my dad wasn't my dad. It takes more than blood to make a family" I looked up at him and smiled, he smiled back

"Yeah good point" he said as we approached where the Tardis stood, he made it visible again. "By the way that wasn't as heart-felt a meeting as I expected" He pointed out

"Well I can't have her thinking I won't be coming back" I explained, The Doctor entered the Tardis and I followed. I stopped near the controls as he began to control the Tardis once more. I stretched and yawned "Feels like I haven't slept for weeks". My hand came down onto the control panel and I knocked a button. The button I knocked began glowing green, the Doctor rushed over at this "Oh bugger, I haven't hit self destruct have I?" He watched intently as the button began to flash

"No..." he said thoughtfully, an unseen compartment in the panel opened up and slowly revealed a golden coloured metal orb.

"What's that?" I asked watching as it slowly ascended from within the controls, it clicked to a stop and the panels of the compartment slid shut underneath the orbs stand. The Doctor smiled.

"A Christmas present" he said warmly "from her and I" he patted the Tardises control panel, I assumed the 'her' he mentioned was the Tardis. I looked at him unsure of what to do, he nodded towards the orb "open it then!" he pressed excitedly. I lifted the orb from its place on the control panel. Without thinking I walked to a seat and sat down, mesmerised by the golden orb I would've only expected to see in a fairytale. The Doctor quickly joined me. There was a silver band around the centre of the orb, and on the silver band was a glowing green button, much like the one on the console.

"Does it look familiar?" he asked, I smiled and stroked the golden orb with my thumb

"Yeah..." I laughed slightly but I didn't know why, the Doctor beamed as he watched me

"What does it make you think of?" he asked. I was smiling, giggling and eventually a joyful tear rolled down my cheek

"I've got butterflies" I said quietly.

"Open it" He said gently, I pressed the green button and the top half of the orb slowly lifted, a white smoke flowed out of the orb masking its contents, it spilled over my hands and danced across my legs before fading. It revealed a plain silver band, there was a green gem in the centre but it was... closed. The best way I can describe it is a closed flower bud, slithers of the green gem were visible through the gaps in the silver leafs.

"it's a ring?" I said, I was partially confirming it but also slightly curious. The Doctor smiled

"It's your old sonic, well... regenerated old sonic. I have a screwdriver, you have a ring."


	19. Session 19: Sacrifice

"Regeneration?" I asked, he nodded and he took out the ring.

"Watch this" he said, he slipped the ring on my finger and the silver leafs that covered the green gem opened up, it made the same sound as his screwdriver and the light appeared to dance from the heart of the gem. "It works using electrical signals from the brain, rather than with a button"

"So... mind control?" I said simplifying it he smiled

"Well if by that you mean you control it with your mind then yes." I smiled and looked at it, the silver leafs appeared to float as if being blown by the wind, I tested it, telling it to close and it did, it almost snapped shut.

"It's beautiful" I said with a smile. I turned to one of the Tardises walls and jokingly stroked it. "Thank you" I said happily, I then turned to the Doctor and kissed him on the cheek "and thank you"

"You're quite welcome" the Doctor said with a gentle smile

"One thing I don't understand though..." I began "If I didn't press that one button, would I just never get it? Did you know it was there?" I asked

"No, I didn't know it was there, I kept the ring when you... when you left last time and I thought I'd lost it. It broke my heart. And you would've got it anyway, The Tardis knows who you are" He explained,

"How?" I asked "How would the Tardis know it was me? How would I get it anyway? I DON'T get it"

"The button you pressed was the self compression button, if anyone other than you pressed it we'd be dead." He smiled "but this only ever happens once after every regeneration so please be more careful" I smirked at him

"I'm tired and it was an accident!" I protested "The buttons are too sensitive! I only brushed it!"

"Yeah, yeah" The Doctor dismissed me jokingly. "If you're so tired then go to bed" he said fiddling with the console.

"Oh right." I mocked "where? On that little chair there? Where do you sleep?" I asked, he smiled.

"I don't, not often. But when I do I go to my room. But not often, I mean, someone needs to pilot this beauty." He grinned as he tapped the Tardises control panel.

"Room? If there were rooms wouldn't I notice them?" I asked

"Well have you been looking for them?" he asked. I shrugged.

"Haven't exactly had time have I?" I paused for a second just remembering something he'd previously said "wait, you don't sleep?" I asked

"I don't need to" he responded coming away from the controls and leaning on one of the railings surrounding it "not as often as humans anyway, could probably run on an hour a day" he explained, I leaned on the panel parallel to where he was leaning on the bars.

"What do you do when you need sleep?" I asked curiously, he shrugged

"Either park her up somewhere safe or..." he shrugged "just fly her somewhere we can't get into trouble"

"Why don't you teach me to fly her? I mean... sleeping a little longer couldn't hurt... and if I know what I'm doing I could keep her out of bother" I suggested, he smiled.

"Perhaps when you know the universe a little better" He quickly changed the subject and his tone seemed to light up from a gentle happy tone to a lighter, more energetic tone "Anyway, rooms!" he got up and clapped his hands, rubbing them together, "how d'you take em'?"

"What?" I asked not understanding a word

"Bedrooms." He stated "Would you prefer a king size, queen size, double, single, en suite, next to the pool, next to the gallery, next to the kitchen, though mines next to the kitchen but I suppose you could have the room next to mine or even room with me" he spoke quickly, almost to the point where I couldn't understand him, luckily I did. He winked when he finished speaking and I chuckled. The Doctor didn't seem like the type to joke in such a way, but then again. He knew me before, maybe my humour was different then... well... if I said my humour wasn't crude or flirty NOW I'd be lying. Suddenly it seemed to make much more sense, he did keep saying I hadn't changed.

"I've always wanted an en suite" I smiled and he returned it with an even bigger one, he seemed to almost skip in front of me

"Right this way then m'lady" he said jokingly holding out his hand in a gentleman like manor, I placed my hand on his and chuckled

"Lead on sir" I said in a mock upper-class accent, he gracefully lead me around the Tardis, through a corridor that looked invisible until you turned to enter it, it seemed to open up into an even bigger room, he lead me up some spiralling stairs and down another corridor

"It's MUCH bigger on the inside..." I said taking everything in, the Doctor smiled

"I don't understand... this is your home and you didn't even take the time to look around" He grinned and I shoved him mockingly

"Sorry I just guess I didn't find time in between the intergalactic war and invasion of spider people" I mocked.

"You should be sorry" He joked "I remember the first time you came here you always moaned at me to make it look nice, you were the first woman in history to ever bring a hoover into the Tardis."

"It was dusty!" I defended without thinking. I The Doctor only smiled

"looks like we're getting somewhere" we stopped at a door and he looked at me "Your room madam" he pushed the door open with a gentle creak to reveal the most beautiful bedroom I've ever seen, chrome walls and floors lit up by tubes glowing sapphire blue stretching from the floor to the ceiling. There was a double bed in the centre, four posts made of, what looked like glass. A thin white curtain was draped over the bed posts, they fell like waterfalls to the floor where they bundled and spread making the bed look like it was dressed in an elegant gown. The bed sheets were also as white as snow. I walked over to the bed and touched one of the clear posts gently

"Glass?" I asked gazing at it, the Doctor shook his heads

"Indestructible glass." he corrected me "infused with diamond. It was a gift" My mouth dropped

"Indestructible glass..." I repeated in wonder "Who gave you indestructible glass?"

"Just an old friend" he said watching my reaction

"an old friend... gave you a BED made from... indestructible glass" I circled it in wonder.

"It's not that weird is it?" he asked "Still, weird glass aside, what do you think?"

"it's incredible... but" I began turning around "whites not exactly my colour" I said with a playful smile, the Doctor smirked

"Yes I know..." the Doctor went to a fold out control panel on one of the walls of the room and pressed a few buttons, within seconds the white sheets and curtains had turned black as well as the walls whereas the floor remained white. I watched as the room changed around me I looked at the Doctor, laughing. It was partly a nervous laugh, partly amazed.

"How did you do that?" I asked

"I didn't, when a Time Lord regenerates, so does the Tardis. You already know that you've travelled with me before, you piloted the Tardis before, she was your home before..." The Doctor stopped his sentence there but continued again at a different point "Anyway the Tardis had only partly regenerated up until now, she's only changed to suit me. Now that you're back, she's finishing her regeneration by changing to suit you." I nodded, partly understanding what he meant... I sighed, he didn't realise he was missing vital information

"Doctor" I began "what's regeneration?" He looked at me as if I'd insulted him or cursed at a church, after a while it just melted into a kind of sore realisation. He sat down on the bed and I copied

"Yes... yes I forgot to tell you..." he said quietly to himself he looked at me "I didn't want to tell you" he finished sadly. I looked at him and took hold of his hand gently

"You said I regenerated... tell me what that means" I asked gently and he sighed

"Lillian... you died" My heart sank and I was obviously scared but I didn't say anything because I wasn't dead now and I wanted to know why that was. "Regeneration is something a Time Lord does as a last resort to... well... save their life" He explained, he waited to see if I was going to ask him anything but when I didn't he went on "There's no denying Time Lords can die, but if given the time to do it they can come back from the brink of death by regenerating. It can change their face, their voice, everything. Elements of personality can change to but not drastically, If I were to be dying tomorrow and regenerate you wouldn't recognise me." He paused and sighed, I rested my head on his shoulder as I listened, I can't explain why I did it. It's not like this was hard to hear, it was just frightening in a way, I guess I was probably just trying to stop myself freaking out by doing something I thought would cheer me up. "Sometimes it can go wrong" he continued "regeneration requires the upmost concentration and when that concentration is broken anything can happen, The Time Lord could die or... lose their memory"

"And you think that's what happened to me?" I asked

"I think so" he said "we'll never know until you remember". I sighed

"Do you know how I... y'know... died?" I asked timidly. The Doctor looked away, his voice cracked with sadness.

"Yeah." He croaked hanging his head, he gently slipped his hand from my grip and held his own together leaning forward as we sat on the bed. I watched him

"Are you going to make me ask how?" I asked, he shook his head and got up quickly leaving the room. I was outraged, I quickly got to my feet and followed him as he stormed down the hall. "You're not going to tell me?" I shouted outraged by him, he didn't respond, he hurried down the stairs and I followed after still shouting "How can you NOT tell me how I died? I have a RIGHT to know!" I demanded. I followed him through the foyer type room and back into the ever familiar control room "STOP IGNORING ME!" I demanded, he turned when he reached the control panel to face me and began shouting back

"Who the hell do you think you are? How dare you tell me what I can and cannot tell you about MY past! You've only known me two days!" He screamed at me

"That's a load of rubbish and you know it!" I barked "It might well be your past but its MINE too! I was the one who died and YOU know how! I've known you much longer than two days Doctor so don't act like I'm a stranger because we both know I'm far from it!" I screamed but kept getting progressively louder. Both of our faces seemed to burn with rage.

"DON'T YOU SHOUT AT ME IN MY OWN TARDIS!" He ordered

"WELL YOU DON'T SHOUT AT ME IN MINE!" I responded quickly. The room then seemed to fall silent we stared at each other, my heart raced and we were both breathing heavily. The calm after the storm.

"Your Tardis?" he asked calmly.

"Yes" I responded "My home" He sighed and sat down in the seat near the panel I walked slightly closer. He was looking at the floor "I'm remembering more and more each day I'm with you." I said calmly "But the more I remember, the more gaps are left in my memory and if you know what fills those gaps then I need to know" He sighed, he looked at me for a second right in the eye and I did the same. There was silence for another few seconds I spoke, quickly breaking it "please..." I begged. He got up and stood before me.

"You were very brave Lily..." he began "and I'm just so sorry..."

"for what?" I asked him gently, he held onto my arms but looked down at the floor, occasionally looking into my eyes for a split second at a time.

"We were on another planet, far away. Cybermen had invaded and we were helping to stop them..." he began, it was odd, as soon as he started talking I could almost see the place in my mind, long corridors made entirely of metal and screaming alarms. "We almost did it too, we were a fantastic team. There was only one troop of them left and I wasn't paying attention..."

"_Doctor!" I screamed as I watched a Cyberman aim his gun at him. I'd been knocked back and diverted the Doctors attention, he was worried about me and lost focus, he turned his back on his foes. It all happened so quickly, I used my ring to break the Cyberman's gun, The Doctor herd this and turned to investigate. Something was off about him today, his mind was elsewhere. He wasn't focusing and he was putting himself at risk. I quickly got to my feet and ran to the Doctors side_

"_Lily are you OK?" he asked worried, looking me up and down carefully_

"_I'm fine but you seem to be away with the fairies!" I said trying to snap him out of it "Pay attention because if you get hurt I'll never forgive myself" The Doctor nodded_

"_Yes, sorry I'm just a little foggy headed. Anyway back to work!" He said trying to snap out of it, we separated and returned to disarming and deactivating the Cybermen, it was working well enough until the Doctor took a shot to the leg and went down on one knee. I knelt beside him_

"_Funny, last time you did that it wasn't quite as dangerous" I said jokingly_

"_That's what you think!" he responded clutching his leg "you need to go" he ordered_

"_No." I said s the Cybermen began to circle us "What's wrong Doctor this is so unlike you"_

"_Oh everyone has off days Lillian now get lost!" he ordered again_

"_I'm not going anywhere!" I said ignoring his order completely. The Cybermen clutched and aimed all of their guns at us, they released the safety with a threatening 'click'_

"_The Doctor will be deleted" they all said in unison "female Time Lord will be assimilated"_

"_Oh you wish" I said to them "I'm not dead yet"_

"_Female Time Lord will be assimilated, it is the Doctor that will be dead" they tried to correct me and I only scoffed._

"_Lily you need to go!" The Doctor ordered. I shouted at him_

"_No, I've told you once already! When I agreed to stay with you forever, it was for better or worse!"_

"_Lack of co-operation will result in deletion of both The Doctor and his companion" The leader of the troop barked I held the Doctors hand and looked at him._

"You gave your life for someone" The Doctor said snapping me out of my flashback, I blinked multiple times and shook my head, I looked at the floor. I still can't explain why I asked what I did, I already knew the answer.

"For who?" I asked almost in a whisper

"_Female Time Lord, you have ten earth seconds to co-operate or you will also be deleted" The Cyberman warned, I glared at it, not moving. I began communicating telepathically with the Doctor_

"_I have a plan, I can get you out but you NEED to do as I say" I said to him_

"_Only if it gets both of us out" he responded, I ignored him and continued with my thoughts_

"_I plucked a circuit board from one of the other Cybermen that didn't make it" I explained "I should be able to override it with my sonic and give them all the command to cease action, it should just freeze them completely but I need to stay within range. When I freeze them, you need to get to the Tardis, I can only hold them for a while so you need to pick me up once you're there OK?"_

"_OK" he agreed. "I trust you"_

"_3..." The Cyberman counted. I rummaged through my pocket finding the circuit board, I discreetly attached my sonic and tweaked it until the Cybermen froze._

"_OK" I said "it's safe, go! Quickly!" I ordered. The Doctor limped to the Tardis, which was guarded by more frozen Cybermen. I watched carefully as the Tardis took off, I waited for it to be completely gone before I released the sonic from the panel._

"For me" The Doctor confirmed, his voice seemed to overlap the flash back, it was almost like watching myself in some horrific film.

_This released a pulse of electricity through myself and the remaining Cybermen, I could see the white wave glide across the floor sweeping us all up, I could hear the Tardises alarm as the Doctor struggled to land it, I knew she wouldn't land for him, not on a dangerous terrain. I hated myself for lying to him, but I knew these circuits have security which would release an electrical pulse to wipe any viral programmes which is exactly what it did, It was the only way to buy any time, I knew there would be an electrocution, and I knew I had to be the one to go. I fell back as the wave pulse through me, I tried to regenerate and it was working, but the wave of electricity returned to the circuit board and pulsed through me again and my regeneration was interrupted. _

"I don't remember how I would up on earth, all I know now is that I did the right thing" I said to the Doctor

"So you remember?" The Doctor asked after I snapped out of it

"Yeah, I remember it happening. Nothing else though" I replied.

"I went back to get your ring, it was in the exact place you dropped it but when I came back you were gone..." He told me, I smiled

"Well... aint that a brain teaser."


	20. Session 20: Mrs Smith

I smiled at the Doctor who only hung his head. He looked up at me, surprised to see me smiling

"I'm so sorry Lily" he said sadly. I hugged him tightly and to my surprise felt something wet drip onto my shoulder, he was crying. I sighed

"I'm not sorry" I replied "I'd do it again in a heartbeat, you're worth it" He hugged me back tightly, I was almost worried my eyes would pop out of my head, but I can tell what was behind it. It was obvious we were extremely good friends at the very least and he thought I'd died to save him, he thought he'd never see me again, especially when he watched my attempt to regenerate be interrupted and apparently fail. I'd do the same if it was him, I'd hug him and never want to let him go, just in case he wasn't real. Just in case my mind was playing cruel, grief stricken tricks on me. Yet he knew I was real, and he still hugged me as if he was terrified I'd vanish if he let me go.

"How long did you want to stay with me Lily?" he asked

"You said forever" I said as we both held each other "so I took that to mean forever" I felt a tear come to my eye, it felt like a light in my head had been switched on and that the screaming voices were no longer muffled and they'd been heard. A tear dripped from my eye "I'll never leave you" I said gently "you're my best friend" I heard the Doctor chuckle happily but in a way that almost sounded like a sob

"Good" he began happily "because I'll never let you go"

I smiled and gave him one final squeeze, I caught his eye and was overcome with the sudden overwhelming affection towards him, we seemed to stare at each other for a moment in silence, we both noticed it. I was surprised when I noticed him lean in ever so slightly, so slightly I thought for a second I might have just imagined it because it was something that I undeniably wanted to happen but then he moved again and I knew I wasn't wrong. My heart seemed to skip as he locked eyes with me and I returned his actions by leaning towards him myself, I thought I knew time travel up until now, I thought I'd seen everything, spider people, robots at war, hell I'd even died and came back to life, but none of it compared to this moment. Time seemed to stand still in a way even the Tardis couldn't emulate. My eyes seemed to flutter closed of their own accord as I was swept up in the moment, I didn't even have to try to move anymore there just seemed to be a sort of... gravitational pull. Mere moments past and I could now feel the heat radiate from his face, I could tell now how close we were, it was almost as if a spark had flew from his lips to mine and then they touched, only very, very slightly, so lightly that it was hardly a touch before we were hurled away by the shuddering Tardis he fell backwards and so did I, hitting my head slightly on the console, I sat up rubbing it and he was laughing at me. I glared at him and through fits of laughter he spoke

"Are you alright Lily?" he asked, I swear I saw him wipe a tear of laughter away as he did. I continued to glare.

"Yeah I'm fine I just cracked my skull but don't worry I'll just super glue it later!" I barked sarcastically. He smiled happily helping me up

"You're such a drama queen" he joked. He turned his attention back to the Tardis adjusting the controls "Sometimes she gets jumpy if I don't keep my eye on her" he explained, I kept rubbing my aching head

"Oh really? Sometimes I get jumpy when I'm hurled around at break neck speeds" I said bitterly

"That doesn't even make sense" The Doctor said not averting his attention from the controls

"Of course it doesn't!" I exclaimed "I hit my head! My brain lives in there!" I argued before pausing for a second "... my brain... DOES live in my head right?" The Doctor only sighed

"We're not THAT alien" he said "we're practically human-"

"except for the fact that we don't age, travel in time and can come back from the dead?" I cut him off with a grin

"and that we have two hearts but yes, other than that we're practically human" he said in his ever lyrical tone. I laughed a little and he raised an eyebrow "what's so funny?" he asked

"Oh nothing" I said calming down "I think I'm just going mad" I grinned sensing an opportunity "Maybe it was the hit to the head" I said "I'm thinking maybe I should sue"

"Good luck with that" The Doctor replied bluntly

"I'm serious!" I joked "for lack of health and safety protocol" The Doctor sighed

"There's nothing wrong with you but if you're going to be such a child about it-" He came over and kissed my head gently "I may as well kiss it better." He smiled "now, you were complaining you were tired so go to bed"

"You know you're not supposed to go to sleep after a knock to the head" I said with a smirk, being deliberately awkward for nothing more than the sake of amusement

"bed Lillian" he said in a firmer tone I stuck my tongue out at him

"Oh stop acting like such a parent!" I joked, he grinned and frogmarched me out of the control room

"Only if you stop acting so childish" he joked and I laughed

"I'm not childish, I'm energetic! You're just boring" I said playfully as I ran up the set of spiral stairs leading to the corridor my room was in, pretending to run from him as he pretended to chase

"Me? Boring?" He exclaimed catching up with me "I didn't realise travelling through space and time was boring!" I stopped outside of my bedroom door out of breath and laughing

"OK so you're not boring. But I'm not childish!" I protested happily, he chuckled

"Fine, fine" he gave up "You're not childish"

"Good" I said with a satisfied smile "Now if you don't mind I'm TRYING to go to bed" I walked backwards into my room and he rolled his eyes sticking his head through the door and sticking his tongue out at me as I sat on my bed. I picked up a pillow and pulled my arm back "away with you!" I barked at him playfully, launching the pillow at the door, which he shut before the pillow could reach him, I heard his footsteps slowly fade as he walked away. I smiled to myself and began putting the pillows back in place, I heard the door open again

"Lily" he said lightly. I smiled, turning to look at him.

"What now?" I asked playfully, he smiled gently

"Sweet dreams" he spoke softly with a warm smile that seemed to warm my entire body. I returned his smile

"Sweet dreams Doctor"

"By the way your bag is under your bed" he said with a sly grin. My jaw dropped and I looked at him and then under the bed, there it was. I looked up at him again, confused

"How did you-"

"I know everything" he said cutting me off with a wink before leaving. I let out a confused and amazed 'ha' and pulled my suitcase from under the bed. I'd forgotten all about it, and thinking it over... the only time he could really have had the time to put it in here was on the journey back from Torchwood and even then I was with him most of the time, still that was before I'd chosen my room. Weird. I unpacked my case and slipped into some PJs and then, after brushing my teeth, bed.

The next morning... or what I can only assume was morning considering we were in a time machine, I was feeling unusually refreshed, usually when I woke up I felt groggy and unwilling to face the day, however now I knew I'd wake up and the Doctor would be there which changed everything. Now whenever I woke up I didn't wish that I hadn't, I was only excited to see what the Doctor would do today. I walked sleepily into the bathroom and stripped for a shower. It felt good to have the time to just shower, I knew the Doctor was a time traveller but all in all, living with him wasn't that weird. I still slept, showered and ate. I came out of the bathroom wrapped in a warm soft towel happily humming to myself when I heard the handle of my bedroom door click and open, I stood shocked like a deer in headlights when the Doctor walked in. He froze and looked at me up and down, I quickly darted behind one of the bed posts using the curtains to further cover myself

"Just because this is your Tardis doesn't mean you don't have to knock before coming in here!" I barked at him, he only laughed

"Relax I'm a Doctor" he joked as he turned around, I lowered my towel and began to get dressed

"No peeking" I said not taking my eyes off him as I pulled on my underwear

"hurry up and get ready, we're going to hospital" he stated ignoring me, by this point I'd pulled up my jeans and was buttoning them up

"What for?" I asked picking a shirt up off my bed which I'd laid out earlier

"Well why would someone usually go to a hospital?" he asked "To be cured of a sickness". I pulled on my shirt pulling my damp hair out the back and sat on the bed to put on some socks

"You can look now" I said quickly, the Doctor turned around to face me with a smile, I smiled back

"Morning Lily" he said happily as if re-doing the entrance he made earlier

"Morning Doctor" I pulled on my other sock "Now, about the hospital" I began "are you sick?"

"Oh no no" he said with a grin "I'm a Doctor, I go there to help people. Y'know, medicine man, great healer, all that jazz" he came to sit next to me as I pulled on my boots and un-ravelled the wire of my hairdryer I looked around

"Where do I plug this in?" I briefly changed the subject. The Doctor went into one of the drawers of the bed side cabinet and pulled out a different hairdryer and flicked it on without the need of a plug, I felt a very hot air blow and then my hair fell back down around my shoulders bone dry.

"Moisture extractor. Invented by humans in a thousand or so years, much quicker than a hairdryer." He explained putting it back in the drawer "that ones yours"

"Thanks." I said brushing my fringe away from my face "Anyway, you're not a REAL Doctor... like the medical kind, what are we going to the hospital for?" I asked watching him

"I told you." He said happily "to help people" he picked up my sonic ring from the bedside table "Of course they can't know that right away, I need to pretend to be a patient for a while first" he was rolling the ring around in between his index finger and thumb "and I need my top girl beside me" he said with a wink "and as you probably know, you can't enter the examination rooms with a patient unless your family or a spouse so..." he slipped the sonic ring on my finger and grinned "Hello Mrs Smith."

"Mrs Smith?" I said looking at the ring

"yeah, wife of John Smith" he explained "that's me!" I rolled my eyes

"Yeah I got that thanks I mean you couldn't think of anything more... original than John Smith?" I asked "I mean... what's my name? Jane?"

"Well I was going to keep you as Lily but no I like yours better!" he said excitedly running out of the room shouting as he did "Well then let's go. I checked in last night while you were asleep. Better go back before the nurses find out I'm gone." I followed him out and he stopped suddenly on the stairs down almost making me crash into him "Oh and if anyone asks, I have severe abdominal pains" he turned quickly and rushed us out of the Tardis.

"How long have you been out of the hospital?" I asked as he hurried me along

"Oh not long." He began dragging me through the sliding doors of a hospital "Just popped out quickly this morning to get you up" he dragged me around many corners and bends and up stairs and around more corners until we arrived at a ward, he strolled in and flopped down lazily on his bed, he nodded towards an uncomfortable looking seat near the bed. "Have a seat wifey" he said happily as he lay back on his bed, I sat down and smirked at him.

"Funny, I could be anything... you could've said I was your sister but instead you said I was your wife" I grinned "Why was that?"

"Simple" he said un-phased "They might look for a file on me to check if you're my sister... might arouse suspicion and we can't have that can we?" he held my hand with the ring on "whereas this might convince them you're my ball and chain" he winked and I snatched my hand away

"Wait a minute, where's your ring?" I asked not seeing one on his hand; he pulled a silver band out of his pocket and slipped it on his wedding finger

"Right here dear, don't worry" he said jokingly I glared at him playfully and crossed my legs, sitting back in the chair.

"Unbelievable, I've only known you a few days, you haven't even made me dinner yet and suddenly I find myself married to you. If you wanted to ask me out Doctor there are less convoluted ways of doing so". He only grinned in response

"Just remember to make it convincing, we can't let them think I'm here as a result of a domestic can we?" he grinned at me playfully and I grinned back

"I wouldn't dream of it sweetie"


	21. Session 21: Doctor doctor

I heard the chatter of voices outside the ward and the Doctor took my hand and kissed it gently with a wink

"Let's put on a good show" he whispered as the nurses entered

"Morning Mr Smith" one of the nurses walked over smiling

"Morning" The Doctor said cheerily

"How're you feeling?" she asked, the Doctor just shrugged

"Meh, been better" he said casually, he wasn't acting ill at all.

"Oh sorry, you must be Mrs Smith?" The nurse said addressing me, I smiled and nodded

"Lillian Smith" I said brightly "nice to meet you". The nurse smiled and after politely excusing herself to check on other patients the Doctor looked at me

"Lillian?" he barked quietly "I thought we agreed on Jane?" I stuck my tongue out at him

"I didn't agree to anything". A few more minutes passed and nurses came in and out of the ward cooing at the patients asking the Doctor every five minutes if he was alright and how he was doing, whereas I was asking why we were REALLY here every two minutes, he only ignored me or answered with

"Don't worry dear the doctors will sort me out" but that was only when a nurse passed by, after a while of persistent questioning it had became very evident that he was getting sick of me

"Lily why don't you go to the cafe or something?" he asked staring at the ceiling

"Sick of me?" I asked with a grin "well maybe if you let me in on the plan..."

"I told you" he began "I'm a Doctor; I'm here to help people". After realising he wasn't going to tell me anything I sighed and got up.

"Fine, d'you want anything?" I asked

"Just a cup of tea please dear" he said with a happy smile, I held out my hand

"Pass me my jacket" I said motioning towards the jacket I'd placed on the other chair, he handed it over and I took my purse from its pocket

"I thought you didn't have any money" he said watching me curiously

"What made you think that?" I asked counting the notes I had left, about ten pounds.

"I noticed a... rather large mound of bills in your old flat" he said as I put my purse in my pocket

"So I didn't pay some bills? Doesn't mean I don't have money" I said casually

"But if you had money, why didn't you pay bills?" he asked, I sighed and put my hands in my pocket

"I was saving up for something else" I said bluntly "Now, I'm going to go get that cup of tea... I'll not be long" I said with a smile as I walked out of the ward. I followed the signs that were supposed to lead me to the cafe, I had quite a bit of difficultly so I asked a doctor who lead me there, it was odd, the hospital reminded me a lot of the institute but I could forget that if the Doctor was with me, he made me feel like a human and not a patient. I was OK for a while walking around on my own too, but when the doctor began leading me to the cafe, even though it was just the cafe, it reminded me a lot of the institute. I found myself walking timidly all of a sudden, watching my feet as they carried me. I looked up at the stranger who was leading me out of nothing but politeness and goodness and saw an evil devious man, responsible for the suffering of so many. I knew this wasn't the case, I knew his job was to save lives and I knew he was doing this to help me as a person, it wasn't in his job description to lead guests around yet here he was. He was clearly a polite and good man, but in a way, being with the Doctor had made me forget how much the institute messed me up, and not in a good way, because now, whenever I meet a good man in a white coat I develop an unfair resentment towards them. I'd forgotten about that until now, I maybe had even found a way to pretend it had never happened, but I realised then, I was raised as a human, with human emotions and when severe damage is done to a humans emotions, it doesn't just disappear because of one man. It was a devastating blow to my entire outlook on my current mental state, it made me realise that I wasn't better, not like I thought I was, I wasn't even close to better. Granted I'm not suicidal anymore but... what other progress had I made? I was still scared and resentful towards anyone with that particular title, well anyone but the Doctor.

"Miss?" Came the voice of a man, I looked around to find the doctor looking down at me concerned, I snapped out of my thoughts as he gained my attention "Are you alright Miss? You seemed to have zoned out for a while there, it seemed for a second like you couldn't hear me" The doctor explained to me in a concerned tone

"I'm fine thank you." I said forcing a smile; the doctor returned it with a much warmer, much more genuine one

"That's good to hear, still, even if you weren't you're in the right place" he joked and laughed very slightly, I forced a very awkward laugh myself and he smiled whilst I kept my eyes on the floor. "Well, we're here anyway, do you think you'll be able to find your way back to the ward OK?" he asked. Again, I forced a smile and nodded

"Yes, I'll be fine from here. Thank you for all your help" I said quietly and timidly, I tried to look him in the eye but it was like holding two negative ends of a magnet together, my eyes just kept avoiding his and staring at his lips or his eyebrows. He smiled and waved at me fairly awkwardly

"Well then I'll let you be, I would say I hope to see you soon but I don't suppose a hospital is the right location for a second meeting" he joked and I smiled slightly, I was trying to be genuine and it was working to an extent, he wasn't acting like the doctors at the institute which I suppose helped but I still couldn't look him in the eye.

"Thanks again" I said turning away, hoping he did the same. I didn't mean to come across rude in any way but it was bad enough without the awkward chit chat. I picked up the items from the shop and made my way difficultly back to the ward, it took me a little longer as I avoided help but I got there in the end, when I arrived the Doctors bed was surrounded by people, doctors, I froze in the doorway of the ward, the Doctor noticed me and called me over

"Ah there you are wifey!" he said happily, I smiled and walked awkwardly over

"You must be Mrs Smith" said the eldest of the doctors with a smile "hope you don't mind I'm just letting the students take a look at your husband, we won't be long". The doctor moved aside and allowed me into my seat. I placed the Doctors tea on a bedside table.

"Hi sweetie" I said to him keeping my head low, the Doctor watched me curiously

"Are you OK Lillian?" he asked as the young doctor looked confused as she tried to listen to his heartbeat. I nodded. The eldest doctor scolded his student

"I weep for further generations. Are you having trouble locating the heart, Miss Jones?" he asked her

"Um. I don't know. Stomach cramps?" She guessed and the older doctor sighed

"That is a symptom, not a diagnosis. And you rather failed basic techniques by not consulting first with the patient's chart." He picked up the chart but dropped it instantly after receiving what I can only assume was an electric shock.

"That happened to me this morning." Said the young student doctor, which kick started a buzz of chatter from the other student doctors all of which had experienced the same thing.

"That's only to be expected." Said the eldest doctor addressing all of his students "There's a thunderstorm moving in and lightning is a form of static electricity, as was first proven by - anyone?" He asked, to my surprise the Doctor was the one to answer

"Benjamin Franklin." He shouted out happily

"That's correct" stated the old doctor, but my Doctor kept chatting

"My mate Ben, that was a day and a half. I got rope burns off that kite, and then I got soaked…" he babbled on, partly to himself, partly to anyone who'd listen.

"Quite…" responded the eldest doctor, not sure what to say to this.

"…and then I got electrocuted" finished the Doctor, I giggled. Amused at how his story was most likely true yet he just sounded like a madman, it was amusing to think, what if everything all madmen said was true, it would be like living in Wonderland, I smiled to myself thinking how wonderful that would be, and the Doctor noticed and smiled at me as the other doctors left

"Someone's cheered up" he said to me "what's on your mind?" he asked, I folded my arms and smirked at him

"Nothing gets past you does it?"

"Oh come on!" he began "you said before I was your best friend, if you can't tell me who can you tell?"

"Why don't you just listen in on my thoughts?" I asked "worked fine for you before"

"Bah!" the Doctor exclaimed loudly "that takes all of the fun out of everything, besides, even if I wanted to, YOU won't let me anymore!" I smirked, happy that he'd finally noticed

"Yeah…" I began smugly "I know"

"Then why suggest it?" he asked, I chuckled a little

"it was fun to watch you try" he glared at me as I grinned, eventually he smirked at me and changed the subject

"Fine, you got me there, but come on Lily. Tell your ol' pal the Doctor." He asked jokingly, I sighed and smiled

"I just had a funny thought, that's all" I explained

"I don't mean that" he said taking his tea from the side table "You seemed… off when you came back". I shook my head smiling

"Oh it's noting don't worry" I said dismissing his questions, he smirked

"Funny, I thought I'd lost the only woman more bloody secretive than me" he said jokingly "I forgot what a pain you are" he mocked, I shoved him and stuck my tongue out at him

"Lucky we're in a hospital" I said

"Whys that?" The Doctor asked sipping his tea

"Because I'm awfully close to killing you!" I said jokingly turning in my seat to look out of the window to see it pouring down with rain, I watched it for a while not seeing anything unusual right away until I noticed, through the blur made by the water on the window, the sun still shining beyond the hospital, the sky was blue, the sun was shining and the ground was dry, there was no rain beyond the hospital, and not only that, looking closer it looked like the rain was going up… "Doctor…" I began in a concerned tone "Is this anything to do with why we're REALLY here?" I asked, he quickly jumped from his bed to look out of the window, I watched him trying to figure out what he was thinking, he looked extremely thoughtful and remained silent for a moment

"Yes…" he began thoughtfully "yes that might have something to do with it" I was about to ask him… well everything. I mean, what questions WOULDN'T I ask at this point? I opened my mouth to speak but was cut off as the hospital began to tremble viciously, both the Doctor and I stumbled, I landed on top of him. I sat up slightly and looked at him

"Sorry about that!" I said awkwardly getting up

"Don't be" the Doctor said brushing himself off "we're married after all" he joked

"Now then," I began as the Doctor turned to look out of the window "what the bloody hell was tha-" I froze as I saw for myself what was out of the window. I slowly walked forwards and placed my hand on the glass "Doctor…" I began "D-Did you fly the hospital to the moon?" I asked gobsmacked

"No sweetie" he said staring out of the window with me "I drive a TARDIS."


	22. Session 22: Flirting

"Come on then" The Doctor said heading back to the bed "Best get my jacket back on and sort this out" He sat me down on his bed as I stared at him, mouth hung open. "Just in case you get jelly legs" he sat patting me on the head

"All right, everyone back to bed, we've got an emergency but we'll sort it out." Came a female voice, the voice of the student doctor that was looking at the Doctor earlier. The Doctor began observing the situation whilst I sat on the bed feeling slightly patronized by him… but I was a little bit freaked out, which was surprising all things considered. I got up and went to walk beside him

"Lily? Are you OK?" he asked

"I'm fine" I said bluntly, my knees buckled under me, I lied, I was still pretty freaked out but I didn't want to feel like a burden. The Doctor grabbed me before I fell but I shrugged him off

"Will you relax? I'm fine I just… haven't got my space legs yet" I said to him, determined to not act like the 'feeble female sidekick' again. I watched as the young female doctor walked over to the window

"It's real. It's really real. Hold on!" she said as she went to undo the latch on the window

"Don't! We'll lose all the oxygen!" begged her sobbing companion

"But they're not exactly air tight. If the air was going to get sucked out it would have happened straight away, but it didn't. So how come?" She began but the Doctor interrupted her walking away from the bed and towards the window

"Very good point! Brilliant, in fact. What was your name?" He asked cheerily

"Martha" she responded simply, I joined them by the window

"And it was Jones, wasn't it?" The Doctor asked and she nodded "Well then, Martha Jones, the question is, how are we still breathing?" He asked her

"We can't be" sobbed her companion

"Obviously we are so don't waste my time. Martha, what have we got? Is there a balcony on this floor, or a veranda, or...?" he asked her quickly

"By the patients' lounge, yeah." She responded obviously still very confused.

"Excellent! Lillian!" he shouted my name turning on his heel to face me "My lovely lovely little Lily, fancy a stroll?" I shrugged with a grin

"when in Rome, moon-walk" I said with a grin, he laughed slightly

"Oh I like that, your humors improving. However, there is the slightest little glitch which is… we might die" he spoke very quickly, he seemed to get more excited when things like this happen, in a strange way it was a good thing because he made it seem… well… fun. I shrugged

"Yeah but…" I smirked "imagine how cool it will be telling people I died on the moon". The Doctor grinned

"Well lets go then!" he said taking hold of my hand and leading me off

"Wait!" came the voice of the student doctor "please, let me come too." She asked, I looked at the Doctor

"I don't know… it's one thing to risk my wife's life but another woman's too?" he joked, I sighed

"Charming"

"Still we could use someone familiar with the hospital, OK fine, take us to the patients lounge… but when we get there you NEED to STAY INSIDE" he ordered, the doctor nodded obediently and soon followed us out she lead us through the hospital until we arrived at a small lounge area. The Doctor turned to her "remember, STAY INSIDE" she nodded again

"I promise I will" she said as the Doctor nodded at me, he took my hand again and walked to the balcony quickly opening the doors and stepping out, obviously I wasn't far behind.

"Well would you look at that" I said taken a-back by the sight "It's beautiful"

"We're standing in the earthlight" he began "I don't suppose you remember when I brought you here before?" he asked, I shook my head

"Sorry." I said simply, still in awe

"Don't be" he began "means I can repeat one of the best days of my life… well kind of." I giggled

"What you brought me here in a hospital before?"

"Not as romantic is it?" he asked jokingly. I smiled and stared at the earth

"You'll need to tell me how we met Doctor" I said happily "You seem to have a lot of fantastic memories with me that I know nothing about"

"You have no idea" he said leaning on the railings "Now then, about this oxygen" he said changing the subject

"Yeah it's a bit out of place isn't it?" I said jokingly, he picked up a pebble from the floor and threw it from the balcony it seemed to strike an unseen barrier which resulted in branches of electricity to streak across it. "There must be some sort of force field keeping the air in." he explained

"So by that logic the only air we have is the stuff that was trapped in here with us?" I asked

"yeah that's about right" he confirmed

"So… when we run out?" I asked

"We run out." He said bluntly, dragging me back inside, Martha seemed to jump as we entered so quickly "How many people in this hospital?" he asked her urgently

"I don't know, a thousand?" she said very confused, the Doctor looked at me

"A thousand people suffocating…" he said thoughtfully

"What?" Martha asked shocked "Why? Who would do that?" she asked, I noticed something move outside and went to investigate. I saw several long cylinder shaped spaceships slowly descend down and land.

"Doctor!" I called, both he and Martha ran out

"Oh excellent timing, you can ask them yourself Martha" he said to the young doctor as legions of what looked like rhino men marched out of the ships.

"Aliens. That's aliens. Real, proper aliens." Martha pointed out, obviously confused and maybe scared.

"Judoon" the Doctor corrected her.

"What now?" I asked as the Doctor hurriedly walked back inside

"Judoon, aliens, specifically, rhino people" he explained "Martha!" he barked excitedly "We need to go see what they're up to, you stay safe" He lead me away but the Martha hurriedly followed

"No! I want to come too" she protested "you said t yourself, you need someone to take you around" the Doctor stopped and began making a series of strange noises which I could only assume were his 'thinking' noises

"Oh alright, but be good!" he said strictly and she nodded, she lead us downstairs even though I personally thought it was simple enough to just walk down stairs until you hit ground but apparently not. We stopped on the second foor, in an area looking down onto the ground floor, we crouched down near a potted plant and watched as the Rhino people began shining lights in the eyes of all of the people down there before muttering the word 'human' after every one and marking their right hands with a cross.

"Oh, look down there, you've got a little shop. I like a little shop." The Doctor said spotting a small kiosk near reception, I looked at him

"THAT'S your main concern?" I asked surprised

"What's the Judoon?" Martha cut in, I looked at her wondering why she was being suddenly rude

"Galactic police. Well, police for hire. More like interplanetary thugs." The Doctor explained

"And they brought us to the moon?" She asked

"Neutral territory. According to galactic law, they've got no jurisdiction over the Earth, and they isolated us. That rain? Lightning? That was them, using an H2O scoop." He explained to her, I took a back seat and let her have the Doctors attention, I was beginning to think that's why she was so persistent.

"What's that about 'galactic law'? Where'd you get that from? If they're police, are we under arrest? Are we trespassing on the moon or something?" She asked him, I sighed and sat back, growing quickly bored.

"No. But I like that. Good thinking. No, it's more simple. They're making a catalogue, it means they're after something non-human, which Lillian if you've been paying attention…" he said looking at me "is very bad news for us."

"What've we do-"

"Why?" Martha said cutting me off I rolled my eyes

"Sorry, did the middle of my sentence interrupt the beginning of yours?" I snapped at her and she looked at me sheepishly. She hung her head and stayed silent "Thank you" I said looking back at the Doctor "As I was saying, what have we done wrong?" He looked at Martha and then at me seemingly shocked by my outburst

"Well… the person… or thing they're looking for isn't human. How likely is it that there will be more than one alien in a building on a planet that doesn't know aliens exist yet. They're just going to assume any non-human is affiliated" I nodded as he explained

"Ah right" I said feeling enlightened "bad news for us then?" I asked

"Yes" he confirmed "very bad news" he turned to Martha "and in response to you Martha yes, we're aliens, yes both of us now lets go" he got up and began running, Martha and I followed him into a corridor where the Judoon where cataloguing others. A doctor was speaking loudly trying to calm the crowds, the same doctor who escorted me to the café

"Do what they say. All they want is to shine this light thing, it's all right, they don't mean to hurt us. Just listen to them." He shouting trying to calm the frantic crowd. I watched as a middle ages man picked up a jug and smashed it over the head of one of the Judoon, it turned to look at him and the man froze like a deer in headlights.

"Witness the crime. Charge: physical assault. Plea: guilty. Sentence: execution." Stated the Judoon chief before shooting down the man with some kind of laser, the young doctor flinched

"You didn't have to do that!" he said mortified

"Justice is swift" stated the Judoon before going back to cataloguing.

"Come on" The Doctor said hurrying Martha and I along and into an office. He used his screwdriver on a computer and began examining it

"They've reached third floor." Martha began "What's that thing?"

"Sonic screwdriver" replied the Doctor bluntly in the same way he did with me.

"Well, if you're not going to answer me properly!" she huffed

"No, really, it is. It's a screwdriver, and it's sonic. Look." He quickly showed her the screwdriver before diverting his attention back to the screen

"What else have you got? A laser spanner?" She said sarcastically

"I did, but it was stolen by Emily Pankhurst, cheeky woman." He responded whilst hitting the computer "Oh, this computer! The Judoon must have locked it down. Judoon platoon upon the moon. Cause I was just travelling past, I swear, I was just wandering, I wasn't looking for trouble, honestly, I wasn't, but I noticed these plasma coils around the hospital, and that lightning, that's plasma coils, been building up for two days now, so I checked in, I thought something was going on inside, it turns out the plasma coils were the Judoon up above." He babbled to himself, I raised an eyebrow

"Why couldn't you just tell me that when I asked?" I asked bemused

"Would ruin the surprise for you Lily, I wouldn't do that to you" he said with a sly wink. I crossed my arms and sat on the desk he was leaning over

"I almost wish you did" I said to him as he stared intently at the screen

"You don't mean that" he said turning his back to the screen

"What were they looking for?" Martha asked

"Something that looks human, but isn't." he explained

"Like you?" Martha asked

"Like us." The Doctor corrected her looking at me "But not us"

"Haven't they got a photo?" she asked

"Might be a shape shifter" the Doctor responded quickly

"Oh that's new" I said with a cheeky grin which the Doctor returned

"Whatever it is, can't you just leave the Judoon to find it?" Martha asked

"If they declare the hospital guilty of harboring a fugitive, they'll sentence it to execution." He explained

"All of us?" she asked

"Oh yes. If I can find this thing first... Oh! Just that they're thick! Judoon are thick! They are completely thick! They wiped the records. Oh, that's clever." He muttered to himself and I giggled

"What are you looking for?" Martha asked

"I don't know. Any patient admitted in the past week with unusual symptoms. Maybe there's a back-up." He said turning back to scour the computer

"Just keep working. I'll go ask Mr Stoker, he might know." She said before briskly leaving the room, I smirked at the Doctor and folded one leg over the other

"Y'know Doctor…" I began thoughtfully "I watched a movie a while ago… Fright Night."

"That's nice Lily" he said trying to ignore me

"There was this actor in it… he looked kind of like you." He looked up at me for a moment

"Now really isn't the time for movie trivia Lily" he said seriously I grinned

"Just trying to lighten the mood" I began "he was hot" I said quietly

"What was that?" he asked looking up at me with a sudden glint of interest in his eyes

"Oh nothing", I said playfully "I'm just saying there was an actor who looked like you in a movie who happened to be very attractive" I grinned "By any chance, have you ever played the part of a vampire slayer?" I asked grinning

"No..." he said confused, I sighed and laughed slightly

"Doctor" I began "allow me to be just a tiny bit more obvious"

"Yes?" he said urging me to continue

"I'm flirting with you, sweetie!" I said slightly louder. He grinned

"I know" he smirked "you're terrible at it" he joked and I grinned slyly

"You're right" I said "perhaps you could give me an example?" I asked jokingly, he looked up at me and winked

"Maybe later wifey"


	23. Session 23: Saving a Thousand Lives

The Doctor continued fiddling with the computer until something beeped ad he let out a victorious 'yes!'

"I've restored the files" he said as he began browsing through them, I heard a scream and looked urgently at the Doctor he quickly got up "we need to go help" he grabbed my hand and rushed me out of the room

"You have no idea where you're going do you?" I asked stumbling along behind him trying to keep up.

"Don't start wifey" he said as we turned a corner almost crashing into Martha "I've restored the back-up" he repeated to her

"I found her" she said to the Doctor I looked around

"The person who was screaming?" I asked

"That was me" she responded quickly, Two men dressed all in leather with motorcycle helmets emerged from behind her, the Doctor grabbed my hand again

"run!" he ordered, and of course we both obeyed. We ran down a flight of stairs, leather-clad men behind us. We were met by Judoon at the bottom

"Jesus it's Torchwood all over again" I said as the Doctor pulled me off to the side and through a door onto the fourth floor the men still on our tails. He brought us into a corridor, he skid around corners with us in tow and after what felt like hours of frantic, panicked running he lead us into a radiology room. We dispersed in the room and the Doctor slammed the door in the face of one of the men. Martha had ran towards one side of the room and I stayed closer to the Doctor

"When I say 'now', press the button." He said to Martha who was stood near a control panel of sorts

"I don't know which one!" she said panicked

"Find out!" he barked at her. He used his sonic screwdriver on a piece of machinery parallel to the door, Martha scrambled for the operators manual but before she could even browse the index the men had broken down the door, I stood like a deer in headlights, I had to do something, Martha only stood panicked scouring the manual

"Now!" the Doctor called, Martha made no move, I ran as quickly as possible and looked at the panel talking quickly to myself

"Always chose the right one" I said to myself looking at the green button on the right hand side

"I said NOW!" the Doctor shouted, I quickly jabbed the button and he zapped the men with some sort of... well something from the machine.

"What did you do?" Martha asked noticing the sudden calm that had fallen over the room.

"Increased the radiation by five thousand per cent. Killed him dead." He explained

"Isn't that likely to kill you?" she asked

"Nah, it's only radiation. We used to play with roentgen bricks in the nursery. It's safe for you to come out, I've absorbed it all. All I need to do is expel it." He said as he started bouncing and hopping up and down "If I concentrate I can shake the radiation out of my body and into one spot. It's in my left shoe. Here we go, here we go, easy does it..." he began shaking his foot whilst continuing to bounce up ad down, I wanted to giggle but I was too amazed by the silliness of it all, part of me wondered if he was even being serious "Out, out, out, out, out. Out, out, ah, ah, ah, ah. It is, it is, it is, it is, it is hot. Ah - hold on." As he spoke his voice got louder and louder, I watched as he threw his shoe into a medical waste bin and then stood as casually as anything. "Done." He said happily. I smiled.

"You're fantastic" I said amused

"You're completely mad!" Martha said disregarding me

"Right. I look daft with one shoe." He took off his other shoe and threw it away with the other "barefoot on the moon" he said with a smile, I walked over to the leather clad corpse and knelt down beside it.

"So what about our friend here?" I asked looking at him "shall we unmask the masked felon?" I said jokingly

"Can't" the Doctor said skipping over "It's just a Slab. They're called 'Slabs'. Basic slave drones, see? Solid leather, all the way through. Someone has got one hell of a fetish." He said examining it

"So if I took the helmet off..." I asked waiting for him to confirm my thoughts

"You'd be taking its head off" he explained while walking back to the machine he'd used to kill it

"It came with that woman, Mrs. Finnegan. It was working for her. Just like a servant." Martha said watching the Doctor as he pulled his screwdriver from the machine

"My sonic screwdriver..." he said devastated as he examined a beaten burned and melted piece of metal shaped vaguely like a screwdriver.

"She was one of the patients, but –" Martha tried again but the Doctor cut her off.

"My sonic screwdriver!"

"She had a straw like some kind of vampire." Martha continued but the Doctor cut her off once more

"I loved my sonic screwdriver!"

"Doctor!" she shouted gaining his attention

"Sorry" he said tossing the screwdriver away and giving her a small smile "You called me Doctor"

"Anyway! Miss Finnegan is the alien. She was drinking Mr. Stoker's blood." She said finally. I raised an eyebrow and looked at the Doctor

"Funny time to take a snack. You'd think she'd be hiding. Unless - no. Yes, that's it, wait a minute. Yes! Shape-changer. Internal shape-changer. She wasn't drinking blood, she was assimilating it." He said quickly, he seemed to be explaining it, but I think he was just thinking out loud.

"I knew it" I said clicking my fingers, the Doctor looked at me raising his eyebrows.

"But you didn't though did you Lily?" he asked, I smiled and shook my head

"Don't be silly, of course not!" I said with a chuckle. He shook his head with a slight smile and continued

"If she can assimilate Mr Stoker's blood, mimic the morphology, she can register as human. We've got to find her and show the Judoon. Come on!" he said dragging me along again. He pulled me into the corridor, Martha following. We noticed two more slabs heading down a corridor and the Doctor lead us behind a water cooler to hide "That's the thing about slabs, they always travel in pairs" the Doctor said watching them

"What about you?" Martha asked I looked at her wondering where she was going with this

"What about me what?" The Doctor asked

"Haven't you got back-up? You must have a partner or something?" she asked, I raised my eyebrows and looked at her

"What am I, chopped liver?" I asked and she seemed to stutter

"I-I-I just thought that... y'know... maybe you were just with him this one time or something, you don't seem to know as much as he does." She stuttered and I sighed

"So bloody rude" I said loud enough for her to hear. The Doctor interrupted

"We're stuck on the moon running out of air with Judoon and a bloodsucking criminal, you're having a spat about who I travel with? Come on." He said scolding us like a parent. I rolled my eyes. The Doctor got up and stepped out infront o a Judoon who scanned him and uttered the words 'non-human'

"Shit." I said bluntly

"And again!" the Doctor said ordering us to run. We followed him as the Judoon shot at us. We ran upstairs and locked at door behind us, soon enough we were walking through a corridor of people collapsed and struggling to breathe

"My god..." I said shocked

"No time to hang around Lily!" the Doctor said keeping me focused "They've done this floor. Come on. The Judoon are logical and just a little bit thick. They won't go back to check a floor they've checked already. If we're lucky."

"Everyone's running out of oxygen... they're suffocating" Martha pointed out "What about the Judoon? Should they be suffering too?"

"Great big lung reserves, it won't slow them down. Where's Mr Stoker's office?" he asked not stopping for a minute

"it's this way" Martha said leading us away quickly and soon, into an office. She looked around, there was nothing but a corpse there

"She's gone! She was here!" she shouted. The Doctor knelt down beside the corpse, the doctor that was instructing the group of student doctors earlier that day

"Drained him dry. Every last drop. I was right. She's a plasmavore." He said

"What's she doing in a hospital then?" I asked "What's she doing on EARTH for that matter?"

"Hiding. On the run. Like Ronald Biggs in Rio de Janeiro. What's she doing now? She's still not safe. The Judoon could execute us all. Come on." He lead us off but Martha hung back for a moment, she knelt down by the corpse and gently closed his eyes. I sighed for a moment feeling a small amount of grief for the unfortunate man. Martha caught up with me and we both followed the Doctor into the corridor. "Think, think, think. If I was a plasmavore surrounded by police, what would I do?" he mumbled to himself an MRI scan sign on the wall seemed to catch his gaze "Aah. She's as clever as me. Almost." I heard the Judoon down the corridor

"Find the non-human, execute" they chanted. I looked at the Doctor and mouthed the words 'what do we do?' he looked t Martha

"Stay here. I need time. You're going to have to hold them up." He said to her

"How do I do that?" she asked beginning to panic

"Martha, forgive me for this. It's to save a thousand lives, it means nothing. Honestly, nothing." He said to her before pulling her face to his and kissing her. I watched the exchange and it felt as if a lightning bolt had shot me straight through the centre of my heart. I felt my eyes tear up but I could also hear the Judoon approaching, The Doctor grabbed my hand and pulled me away and I knew I had to shake it off, as hard as that might be. We stopped outside of the MRI room and the Doctor held me by the arms making me look into his eyes. "You need to stay here" he said urgently

"What? No!" I said hurt

"Please Lily, just wait here, I promise everything will be fine, I'll get you out of here I swear." He said looking down at me, my eyes started to tear up to the point where his face was nothing but a blur

"Only if you promise you're getting out of here with me" I said taking hold of his arms pleadingly

"Listen" he said "I have a plan, Martha will hold up the Judoon, with the genetic material I left on her and eventually she'll lead them to the plasmavore." He explained

"Then why do you need to go in there?" I asked as a tear began to roll down my cheek.

"We don't have much time..." he said beginning to get shifty he lead me behind a plant pot and gave me a quick hug "stay there, if the Judoon find you they'll kill you. You should be OK just promise me no matter what you hear you'll stay hidden!"

"What?" I said clinging onto his jacket for dear life "Doctor what are you going to do?" I asked panicked

"I'm going to save your life Lillian" he said with a smile he leaned down and gave me a quick kiss on the lips, my heart skipped a beat and my breath seemed to catch in my throat for a moment, I looked up at him

"Was that to save a thousand lives?" I asked, he smiled

"No" he began "That was in case I don't make it back"


	24. Session 24: Can the Dead Dream?

I tried stop him but before I could he was already in the other room talking to the alien. I knew if I went in there now, I'd only be killing him sooner. I curled up in a ball and began to sob quietly, like so many times before now. The only difference was this time I wasn't crying for me. I was crying for my Doctor, something I'd never thought I'd do. I thought about how much he'd changed me in such a short amount of time and how happy he made me feel. I cried because, he didn't deserve to die, or even be hurt and because I didn't want to be without him. He had become my reason to cherish my life, and also my reason to give it up in a heartbeat. But there was a chance that he would survive this, and if the only way I could make sure he had that chance was to sit back and let what needed to happen, happen. Then I'd take that chance, and I'd take it again. Still, by no stretch of the imagination did I want to sit here and let him face that thing on his own, but like I said, I had to take the chance. I could hear muttered conversation but couldn't make out what was said after a while the conversation stopped which sent me into a panic. I noticed a doctors coat hung up nearby with a black marker in the pocket. I was amazed at why I didn't think of it sooner. I snuck out and took the marker from the pocket of the coat and mimicked the cross the Judoon were drawing on the right hands of humans on my own hand.

"Judoon won't re-scan anything they've already done... if I'm lucky." I said to myself. "Alrighty... I'm feeling pretty lucky" I said storming into the room to find the Doctor, drained, on the floor and an elderly woman messing around with the controls of the MRI scanner. I went right to his side and scooped his head up onto my lap

"You killed him!" I screamed at her she turned to me with a sickening grin

"Yes..." she grinned. "and now, just to be safe, I'll be killing you too" she grinned

"Good luck" I said angrily "because I need to be alive to save him and that's ALL I intend to do" I snapped at her holding the Doctor in my arms

"Not even interested as to why?" she asked I smirked

"Someone's an open book" I said slyly. "Why tell me? I could be anyone." She hissed

"Yes, you could be" she approached me slowly "but you won't be for long" I scoffed

"Alright then, I'll humour you." I grinned hearing the Judoon approaching quickly "Tell me your plan oh evil one"

"I drink the blood of humans, like your little hubby, to appear human so the police can't find me" she said approaching me from the front while her slabs approached me from behind

"That's it? Come on I'm sure you gave him more information than that" I said as she approached "You're the one the rhinos are looking for am I right?" she nodded

"You don't need much more information, I'm sure you're friend will fill you in when you meet him in the void" she taunted

"Oh void yourself" I said with a grin as she advanced on me. I lowered my head to whisper in the Doctors ear "I love you hubby" I said and gave him one final hug with a smile on my face as the slabs grabbed me and pulled me away from him, the old woman stuck a straw into my neck and flinched as she started to suck my blood through it

"Cease and desist!" came the voice of the Judoon, I heard the safety click off their guns and she stepped back, the slabs still held me where I was though. "You are a suspect, please step forward to be scanned"

"But I'm human" she said holding up her hand.

"Scan her again." I muttered to the Judoon feeling extremely uncomfortable with a straw sticking out of my neck "she drank my blood through a straw, scan her again"

"Judoon have no authority over human crime" one of them said, Martha walked in and I smiled.

"Oh Martha I don't think I've ever been quite as happy to see you, do you think you can convince these rhinos to scan her?" I said itching to remove the straw with still stuck out embarrassingly from my neck. Martha did more than that, she snatched one of the scanners and used it on the woman, it beeped

"Non-human" said the cheif Judoon

"confirm analasys" one of them repeated

"Can someone take this straw out of my neck please?" I asked flinching, no response.

"Confirmed: Plasmavore. I charge you with the crime of murdering the princess of Patrival Regency Nine." The chief said looking at the woman

"She deserved it! Those pink cheeks and those blond curls and that simpering voice. She was begging for the bite of a plasmavore." She barked

"Do you confess?" asked the chief

"Confess? I'm proud of it! Slab - stop them!" she ordered, the slabs finally dropped me and I pulled the straw from my neck breathing a sigh of relief when I did, I grabbed a cloth from a table and held it over my neck. The Slabs fired guns at the Judoon who fired back. The Slabs disintegrated and a warning began to light up on one of the screens, 'magnetic overload' it read. I made my way back over to the Doctor holding the cloth over my neck to try and control the bleeding. I leaned over him with a smile

"I'm sorry, I made more of a mess than you would've but I had to try" I said to him lovingly. "Martha!" I shouted, she looked at me "I could really use a hand"

"Verdict: guilty. Sentence: execution." Came the voice of the Judoon

"Enjoy your victory, Judoon, because you're going to burn with me. Burn in hell!" she screamed as they disintegrated her and Martha rushed over, she moved the cloth gently and looked. She rummaged around and found some emergency padding which she placed over the wound

"You're lucky, she just missed the artery." I smiled

"I knew I was feeling lucky" I looked at the scanner and at my ring

"Case closed" said the chief Judoon "all units withdraw" he ordered as the Judoon left

"You can't leave!" Martha begged "what about the air, what about the scanner?" she shouted. The air was getting thinner, I placed my hand on her shoulder

"I can show you how to fix it." I said. It wasn't that I couldn't do it on my own, I just wanted to stay by the Doctors side. I slid my ring off my finger and handed it to her "Push that on the ring and point it at the machine..." I was struggling to breathe "press the power button or the cancel button or whatever button on the scanner that's likely to cancel it and it should override it and power down" I said, she only nodded and began working. I knelt over the Doctor "OK here we go sweetie" I said, I pushed down on his chest following a rhythm counting out loud to five and then taking a breath and releasing it into his mouth whilst holding his nose, I continued until he began to cough, I smiled and felt myself going lightheaded. He looked at me

"Lily!"

"Welcome back hubby" I said feebly before collapsing. Martha returned from the scanner holding my ring

"Lily I did it!" she said looking around before spotting me on the ground. She knelt down by my side and sighed, she handed my ring to the Doctor and the Doctor placed it in his pocket before scooping me up into his arms spotting the cross on my hand, he smiled

"Clever little so and so" he said before looking up at Martha "Come on." He said leading Martha out, he turned to her "Are you holding up OK? I can't carry you both" he said with a weak smile, Martha nodded. All around us were patients and staff alike either struggling to breathe or passed out. He carried me to a window, he stared out anxiously "Come on, come on, come on. Come on, Judoon, reverse it." He pleaded watching intently, a few moments later rain began to pelt the windows of the hospital, he looked down at me "You'll never guess what Lily..." he began happily "It's raining on the moon!" There was a flash of white light and I woke up slowly as oxygen began to flood into me. I slowly opened my eyes and looked up to see the Doctor, I looked to the side, out of the window. To see to my greatest relief the streets of London.

"Hello wifey" he said happily, I smiled

"Hello there hubby." He gently let me down and helped me stand, I managed fine after a stumble or two.

"You have a terrible habit of dying" The Doctor said to me jokingly, I laughed

"So do you!"

"Let's get back to the TARDIS" he said linking arms with me, I looked over my shoulder to see Martha stood outside of the hospital I waved over my shoulder at her and she smiled, the Doctor noticed and did the same.

"Todays been another eventful day" I said stepping back into the TARDIS

"As always" he responded swinging around to shut the door graceful and happy once more. He was beaming "You know I had the strangest dream when I was out of it" he said to me with a grin

"Did you?" I replied sitting down and slowly pulling the sticky padding away from my neck very slightly, only enough so I could have a look, the bleeding had stopped but there was still a very repulsive slowly scabbing hole with a faint red smudging around it and a giant red splotch on the pad, I put the pad back over the wound temporarily and held it in place. I got up whilst speaking "I didn't think the dead could dream" I said looking under the control panel to see if there was a medical kit or something there I could use

"Come on" The Doctor said walking over "I'll show you the medical bay, I still need to give you the full tour anyway" he smiled and began leading me away, he took me through the same corridor that lead to the grand foyer type room but rather than heading up the stairs he took me through the room and down one corridor in which a lone door was waiting at the end. "Here we are" he said walking slightly ahead of me to get the door. He stepped inside and I followed as a huge high tech medical facility opened up before us, I looked around at the clean and crisp chrome and white colours, it was almost blinding when walking in because of the bright white walls, cabinets, floors and well... everything. The floor was polished and cleaned to the point where it could be used as a mirror, as was everything else in the room. It was as sterile as they come, it seemed like a single particle of dust could land on a countertop on the other side of the room and it would be visible from the doorway, the room was that clean.

"Wow... all of this and you're not even a real Doctor" I said approaching one of the many beds

"Oi" he responded, I'm a very good doctor!" I grinned

"Well can Dr. Doctor get me something to put over this hole in my neck please?" I said jokingly, he rummaged through a cabinet and pulled out a fresh pad and handed it to me. He put something on a cloth and approached me my eyes widened and I sighed knowing what he was about to do would be painful "That's the same stuff you used on my arm isn't it?" I asked. He nodded

"Sorry" he said sitting near me, I tilted my neck to the side

"Just get it over with" I said, he nodded and gently dabbed the wound with the cloth and I flinched

"You OK?" he asked I nodded

"Your dream" I reminded him "you forgot to tell me what happened"

"Oh that" he said removing the cloth and placing a cotton pad back over my wound "it was nothing, I just dreamt that you came in, got bitten by the plasmavore and... told me something" he said moving away, I stood up and looked at where she'd stuck the straw in his neck, just a pale scar

"Told you what" I said running my finger over the mark on his neck in disbelief. He shivered. "You OK?" I asked after having noticed

"I'm fine" he began "your hands are cold" he explained and I nodded in understanding

"Anyway what did I tell you?" I asked him curiously sitting next to him on the bed. He grinned at me and spoke in a sing-song tone

"You told me you love me" he said with a grin, my mouth dropped open slightly and I must've looked like a fish for a while before just letting out an awkward chuckle as I spoke

"W-What a dream that was" I said sheepishly, The Doctor smiled

"Yeah, yeah it was." He said jumping down from the bed "anyway, where to now?" he asked "I can take you anywhere and I think you deserve a break" he said happily. I smiled

"Somewhere we're very unlikely to find trouble" I said with a grin before quickly changing my mind "actually no, somewhere we probably will find it! It's always more exciting!" I said happily the Doctor smiled

"How about a nice quiet afternoon at the Globe Theatre?" he asked, I smiled

"That would be fantastic I've never been there before" I said interested

"How about a nice quiet afternoon at the _original_ Globe Theatre" he corrected and my jaw dropped

"S-Sounds good."


	25. Session 25: The Bard

The Doctor smiled at me and began frantically circling the control panel as he piloted the Tardis, It shuddered and I grabbed onto the control panel. I laughed loudly as squealed happily as the TARDIS threw us to and fro

"I'll never get used to this!" I said joyfully, the Doctor laughed

"Well you seem to be enjoying it!" he shouted as I fell backwards onto a chair laughing

"Are you kidding?" I said happily "We should get some of those giant hamster balls for this!" I said holding onto the seat the Doctor laughed and pointed at me quickly before being thrown away again

"Now that does sound like fun!" he said, eventually the TARDIS stopped and was still.

"Phew." I said looking at the Doctor "Seems she makes more of a fuss the longer she has to travel" I said and the Doctor smiled.

"Come on then" he said walking to the TARDIS door. I followed him and arrived just as he swung the doors open. "After you" he said politely and I stepped outside.

"First time you've taken me through time..." I said amazed by my surroundings

"Well that's not strictly true" he said pulling me back as someone above us emptied the contents of a bucket from their window while shouting 'mind the loo'. "Sorry about that," the Doctor said stepping over the puddle of muck and began leading me around "remember we've travelled together before but this is the first time you remember..." he paused for thought "that's quite disappointing..." he thought out loud.

"Why?" I asked walking alongside him, he dodged another puddle scrunching up his nose at the smell

"I've taken you nicer places than this..." he said as I hopped around the same puddle "still, if I remember correctly you wanted to meet Shakespeare and we never got around to it the first time". I smiled

"Well who wouldn't want to meet Shakespeare?" I asked and the Doctor smiled

"Exactly" he stuck his hands in his pockets "thought I'd take you to see one of his original plays, makes a nice change from fighting off aliens" he said looking around him as he spoke, I watched the floor carefully to avoid stepping in puddles

"When are we anyway?" I asked "Clearly somewhere before the invention of toilets."

"London, 1599" he stated, I looked around at the women. All doing a job of sorts and all looking exhausted

"I failed history in school so remind me again..." I began "I know women pretty much have no rights here but... I'm not likely to be bought by some goatherd as a wife am I?" I asked the Doctor who chuckled.

"Nah, aside from some rather blatant and vulgar sexism, you're fine. I suppose you could be sold... technically. But only by me, and it's not called selling... its arranging marriage." He said. A lot of the time, I couldn't tell if he was explaining something or just thinking out loud.

"Please don't sell me" I asked jokingly he smirked

"I'll think about it. In the meantime just walk about like you own the place, works for me" he joked, I rolled my eyes

"Of course it does. You're a man, Men have only ever been in charge or equals. Plus... it's very difficult to argue with you for some reason." I said thoughtfully

"Stone cold logic Lillian, developed over hundreds of years" he explained and I sighed

"You're so full of yourself" I scoffed but he ignored me

"Anyway! The reason we're here! Entertainment! The best of its kind! Now, if I'm right we're just down the river by Southwark right next to..." he grabbed my hand and pulled me around a corner "Oh, yes, the Globe Theatre! Brand new. Just opened. Through, strictly speaking, it's not a globe; it's a tetradecagon — 14 sides — containing the man himself." He said happily, he turned to me with a charming smile offered his arm to me "Mrs Smith, will you do me the honour of accompanying me to the theatre?" I smiled and linked arms with him

"The honour would be all mine Mr Smith" I said as he began to lead me towards the doors "By the way..." I said changing the subject "Mrs Smith... is that my undercover name now or something?" the Doctor chuckled

"If you like"

The play began and the Doctor and I stood at the centre of the crowd watching, and despite the wretched smells and vulgar men who occasionally tried to 'cop a feel' it was an amazing moment, the reality of what I was doing, standing in the Globe Theatre while it was still brand new watching a Shakespearian play whilst the bard himself was probably sitting backstage musing. After hours the play ended and the crowd roared, I clapped my hands thrilled.

"Author!" I shouted as the actors bowed "Author, author!"

"What are you doing?" The Doctor asked

"What does it look like?" I asked "I'm trying to see Shakespeare" I explained as the crowd began to copy my calls and cry out for the author, I laughed and the Doctor rolled his eyes

"Unbelievable" he said with a grin. Shakespeare emerged on stage taking an exaggerated bow, he blew kisses and beamed brighter than the sun and the crowd, of course, went wild.

"There he is" I said with a grin, I looked up at the Doctor who looked more excited than ever. "Happy?" I asked and he began twitching, shifting where he stood

"Genius. He's a genius - THE genius. The most human Human that's ever been. Now we're gonna hear him speak. Always, he chooses the best words. New, beautiful, brilliant words." He spoke excitedly and admirably, I could only smile at his joy, it made me feel happy just seeing him like that

"Shut your big fat mouths!" Shakespeare ordered the audience, who started laughing. The Doctors smile fell from his face and he looked disappointed

"Oh well" he said sadly I patted his shoulder gently

"Never mind Doctor" I said gently

"You have excellent taste! I'll give you that." Shakespeare said to the audience before pointing out that some poor fellow was wearing a wig. I looked at the Doctor

"Such a charming poet. His words ring gently like the song of hummingbirds in my ear and my heart" I said sarcastically the Doctor looked at me

"That was pretty good" he said

"Thank you" I responded "I was very good at English in school" I said proudly.

"I know what you're all saying. 'Loves Labour's Lost', that's a funny ending, isn't it? It just stops! Will the boys get the girls? Well, don't get your hose in a tangle, you'll find out soon. Yeah, yeah. All in good time. You don't rush a genius." Came the voice of the bard over the chatter of the crowd "When?" he asked the audience who stood patiently listening "Tomorrow night! The premiere of my brand new play. A sequel, no less, and I call it 'Loves Labour's Won'!" The audience applauded and the Doctor turned to leave. I, of course, followed

"'Loves Labour's Won"... I repeated "I don't remember that one"

"Exactly — the lost play. It doesn't exist — only in rumours. It's mentioned in lists of his plays but never ever turns up. No one knows why." The Doctor explained

"Huh..." I paused "I wonder what happened to it..." I thought out loud, the Doctor pondered

"This was supposed to just be a Theatre trip but I suppose we can stay longer" he said leading me to a pub he stood outside for a moment looking it up and down "Fancy a drink?" he asked and I smiled and nodded. He lead me inside where I heard the loud conversations of drunken men and the muffled squeaks of maids and barmaids alike as the obeyed every whim their masters laid before them. The strong stench of spilled beer was thick in the air as well as the loud and unmistakable roar of laugher usually found within bar walls. I looked at the Doctor, someone or something had caught his eye "Well look who we have here" he said before rushing over to a table, he knocked on the wall nearby and spoke happily

"Hello!" he chimed "Excuse me! I'm not interrupting, am I? Mr. Shakespeare, isn't it?" he asked and the man at the table waved his hand at the Doctor dismissively

"Oh no, no, no, no. Who let you in? No autographs. No, you can't have yourself sketched with me. And please don't ask where I get my ideas from. Thanks for the interest. Now be a good boy and shove-" I heard what sounded like an argument so I peered over the Doctors shoulder and watched the bards face drop.

"Hey, nonny nonny. Sit right down here next to me." He said to me and I rolled my eyes "You two get sewing on them costumes. Off you go." He said to his male companions who were further dismissed by the barmaid

"Come on, lads. I think our William's found his new muse." She said as I took a seat at his table, he looked at me up and down shamelessly

"Sweet lady, such unusual clothes, so...fitted. Never in my days have I witnessed one quite like you, pale as snow and eyes dark as night, scent so soft and alluring" he took a deep breath in through his nose before looking at me again "and what's this? Silver rings that protrude through your very flesh..." he whispered inspecting my nose ring carefully "and this... artwork painted onto your very skin... so intricate and fine, so beautiful and new. Tell me, sweet, beautiful lady. What need a simple poet do to win the heart of one so unusual and refined?" he cooed at me and I rolled my eyes, he looked at me intently and I smirked. Finally all that hard studying in English would pay off.

"I see you, bard with sweet of tongue but bitter breath, that which you address a lady with, rings with the stench of drink, that which made the wise man foolish and the fool a corpse, I see through thee oh mischievous bard to thine fair wife in the countryside, To say I am not flattered by such sweet words would be nought but lies, However to succumb to thine honeyed words would be nought but foolish, I prithee bard dismiss your folly, for one so clever must not succumb himself to the calls of lust whether she might call through lonesomeness or drunken whims. For men, mightier than even thineself have fallen at her heels." I said to him in the most poetic tone I could muster, who better than to speak in verse with than Shakespeare himself. He beamed and sat back in his seat

"Ah! A lady of verse!" he boomed happily. The Doctor jumped in holding out a piece of blank paper to Shakespeare

"My name is Dr. Smith of TARDIS and this is my WIFE and companion Mrs Lillian Smith." He said darkly to the bard as he slouched in his seat before us

"Interesting" slurred the bard "that piece of paper, it's blank" he said looking at the Doctor suspiciously. The Doctor, however, was impressed

"Oh, that's... very clever. That proves it. Absolute genius." He muttered, I looked at the Doctor

"Did you expect that to work?" I asked not knowing it could be anything but blank paper

"It's psychic paper, long story, oh I hate starting from scratch!" he moaned as he put the paper away

"Psychic. Never heard that before and words are my trade. Who are you exactly? More's the point, this delightful lady, she is truly your wife?" he asked partly disappointed.

"Yes." The Doctor said bluntly "we're from a far away land but we spend our days travelling." He explained

"Excuse me!" came a loud male voice that just seemed to explode into the room a fat man decked in lavish clothing walked to Shakespeare's table, chest puffed out and cheeks flushed. "Hold hard a moment. This is abominable behaviour. A new play with no warning? I demand to see a script, Mr Shakespeare. As Master of the Revels, every new script must be registered at my office and examined by me before it can be performed." The man barked

"Tomorrow morning, first thing, I'll send it 'round." Shakespeare said darkly to the man

"I don't work to your schedule, you work to mine. The script, now!" Demanded the great big man. He reminded me a lot of Henry VIII, I knew he wasn't but with the Doctor, I honestly wouldn't be surprised

"I can't" replied Shakespeare

"Then tomorrows performance is cancelled" spat the man "I'm returning to my office for a banning order. If it's the last thing I do, 'Love's Labours Won' will never be played." He spoke bitterly and turned to leave. There was a huge awkward silence until I spoke up

"S'pose that's that then. Seems that one went out with a whimper rather than a bang... how sad." I said to the Doctor mourning the play that would never be staged until I was snapped out of my disappointed daze by a scream. Almost automatically I jumped from my seat to find the source, as did the Doctor and Shakespeare. We rushed into the street to see the same great big man that had just vowed to destroy the play in a heap on the dirty floor spitting up water. The Doctor pushed quickly past the crowd"

"Leave it to me, I'm a Doctor" he said kneeling down beside the man, I followed

"And I saved his life so I guess that must count for something" I said joining the Doctor. The struggling man suddenly lay still, I leaned down to listen to his heart, nothing. I began to start mouth-to mouth but he spat up water far too close to my face for my liking. "My God!" I exclaimed sitting back

"I've never seen a death like it. His lungs are full of water — he drowned and then... I dunno, like a blow to the heart, an invisible blow." The Doctor explained to me before standing and turning to the barmaid "Good mistress, this poor fellow has died from a sudden imbalance of the humours. A natural if unfortunate demise. Call a constable and have him taken away." He said

"Yes sir" the barmaid responded before her maid approached offering to do it herself.

"What did you tell them that for?" I whispered to him

"This lot still have got one foot in the Dark Ages. If I tell them the truth, they'll panic and think it was witchcraft." He explained

"Oh right so it was some kind of laser gun thing?" I asked him

"No it was witchcraft" he responded and my jaw dropped. I stuttered

"Y-You're kidding, right?"


	26. Session 26: Witches Moon

Later that evening the same barmaid who was serving Shakespeare at the bar and who witnessed the death of the large man earlier agreed to let us stay at her Inn. She came to see us whilst we were speaking with Shakespeare in his own room.

"I've got you a room Dr. Smith, you and your wife are just across the landing." She said to us after having escorted us to our room. She left before we could thank her.

"Poor Lynley." Shakespeare mourned sitting behind his desk "So many strange events. Not least of all, this far off land where a woman can be... what was it again?" Shakespeare asked me as I leaned on a bookcase with folded arms

"I was studying to be a writer, like you." I said nodding at him "but I sold paintings to pay for my books to be published" I explained. This was the first time the Doctor heard about what I did, I looked at him "THATS what I was saving for, the thing that meant I wouldn't pay my bills" I explained reminding him of the conversation we had in the hospital before the Judoon kidnapped us.

"Did you ever publish a book?" he asked, I gave him a dark look.

"I worked at a call centre full time, sold paintings on the side and even volunteered in a psychiatric ward to try and get myself more credentials so I could get a better job, all of that and I couldn't even afford a bigger flat, what do YOU think?" The Doctor seemed to draw back a little

"Oh well sorry." He said shocked at my hostility, I sighed

"Sorry. My... inability to get it off the ground was partly why I wanted to... y'know." I said ashamed of myself. I looked at Shakespeare who slouched behind his desk "I'm not a very good example, but where I come from women can do whatever they want. Doctors, police officers, writers, anything." I explained. Shakespeare merely looked up at the Doctor at this point

"And you Doctor, how can one so young have eyes so old?" he asked.

"I do a lot of reading" the Doctor replied bluntly

"A trite reply. Yeah, that's what I'd do." He said before turning to me "And you, dearest poet, you I cannot figure out. On one level so old... and on the other... brand new." He said watching me intently. I grinned

"Hmm... poet... I like that." I turned to the Doctor "Doctor I think I'll be going to bed now, I'm tired. Goodnight Shakespeare" I said leaving. I walked with my head down across the landing and into the room the barmaid had pointed out as ours I walked through the darkness with nothing but the light from the corridor until I managed to find a candle which I clumsily lit with a match. The room came into the light around me and I sighed catching my reflection in the window. First time I'd been able to take a proper look at myself since the Doctor swept me away in his magic box and I just looked so much happier and healthier. I smiled at my reflection and for the first time in so long, I didn't hate the person I was looking at. I could think of anyone else in the world and be jealous of none of them, the way my life was now, I would never change a thing and I wouldn't want to be anyone else, but me.

"You look happy" came a voice from the doorway I turned to see a smiling Doctor leaning against the doorframe I smiled

"Just admiring our room" I said happily, he looked very handsome standing smiling in the low-light. He slowly walked inside

"It'll do" he said happily "I've seen worse". I chuckled leaning on the wall

"I forgot my toothbrush" I said feeling silly, I glared at the Doctor playfully "You told me it was just a theatre trip" he smiled and rummaged through his pocket before throwing something for me to catch

"here" he said as I caught it, a toothbrush "Contains Venusian spearmint, you don't want to use the water from 'round here anyway" he said happily

"Thanks" I said before sighing and looking at the bed "Any ideas for sleeping arrangements?" I asked he grinned

"You said you're my wife, what did you expect?" he asked and I raised an eyebrow

"Actually YOU told them that!" I protested and he just rolled his eyes

"Oh details! Anyway we'll manage!" he flopped onto the bed lazily and I smirked

"Witches and wizards..." I said thoughtfully "what next? A magical school in the middle of the countryside?" I asked jokingly

"Ah a Harry Potter fan?" the Doctor asked, I shook my head

"Nah." I replied blankly

"Oh, whys that?" he asked, at that I burst out laughing. He looked confused "what's so funny?" he asked and I sat on the bed calming down

"I thought they were too far-fetched" I said with a smile. The Doctor chuckled a little too, I sighed and looked at him with a smile "After all I've seen I wouldn't be surprised if it was true, hell its already looking like it is"

"Don't be silly" The Doctor said "It's something that looks like magic but isn't, are you going to sit there all night?" he asked casually. I awkwardly lay back feeling my entire body brush his

"You're being awfully casual about this..." I said "I mean... we're sharing a bed."

"There's such a thing as psychic energy but a human couldn't channel it like that. Not without a generator the size of Taunton and I think we'd have spotted that." He said oblivious to what I'd said. He turned on his side to look at me and I to him "No. There's something I'm missing, Lily. Something really close... staring me right in the face" he said quietly. I knew how close we were, how close our faces were and my heart... um... hearts began racing, both of them. I could only pray he couldn't feel it. I smiled

"I know the feeling" I was surprised at the sound of my voice, I sounded... smitten. My words came out in a whisper, but not a deliberate whisper, a whisper that was the result of your breath being stolen. I looked away for a second but realised there was nowhere else to look but his eyes. I tucked my hands up to my chest so I was more comfortable and lowered my head slightly waiting for him to say something

"Can I ask you something Lily?" he asked and I looked up at him

"Yeah, what's on your mind?" I asked

"What could possibly make someone want to...y'know. I mean, by the sound of it you had a plan and a talent" he asked obviously regarding my suicide attempts, I rolled onto my back staring at the ceiling

"What aren't you getting counsellor?" I asked jokingly but he responded all the same

"Why someone like you... didn't want to live..." he said gently, I smiled and chuckled a little

"Someone like me... well I dunno. I guess it's just the fact that whatever I did, I couldn't do and then... all those people, they just seemed to be... reinforcing it. It almost felt like... sometimes they might as well have been telling me to do it" I sighed and shook head "I feel sick just hearing myself say these things now... I can't believe I thought like that" I said sorrowfully to myself

"What changed?" The Doctor asked. I rolled back onto my side so we were face to face again.

"Before I met you... I always had the feeling something was missing. Always" I said looking into his eyes thoughtfully

"Even when you were little?" he asked and I nodded

"Even then."

"Wow" he said slightly impressed, our eyes were locked and remained locked for the small pause that followed

"Doctor" I said breaking the silence "when I died... were... were you OK?" I asked, I was concerned about that from the moment I'd remembered. I'd lied to him and I felt horrible, I just wish I'd been able to ask him sooner. He smiled and his eyes seemed to glimmer, but not from happiness

"No." He said casually, I felt a pang of guilt hit me so suddenly, like snapping a twig. He continued speaking "It was the hardest thing I've ever had to deal with. I watched your regeneration fail and I thought I'd never see you again. It was... unbearable." He paused and lowered his voice "I'd be lying if I said I didn't consider just... self destructing, flying the TRADIS into a sun so I'd never have to be without you. That day I saw you in that field near the Powell Estate... I couldn't believe my eyes. I'd never been happier." He sighed and I felt like I'd been punched in the chest

"I'm so sorry" I said feeling like the most disgusting thing alive. I couldn't believe I'd made him this miserable, despite what I was saving, I felt like I'd caused him just as much suffering as if I hadn't saved his life.

"Don't be sorry" he said gently "you saved my life... that's the only reason I had to go on, the fact that you thought I was worth it, I didn't want you to die for nothing." His voice continued to crack slightly but he cleared his throat, I sighed and leaned in closer to him. I touched his forehead with my own and held onto his face

"Silly, silly Doctor" I said gently, I kissed his forehead gently "I'll never leave you again, I promise" I whispered. He held onto my wrist and kissed my hand gently

"Thank you" he said gently before casually rolling onto his back and breaking the intimacy "You'd better get some sleep, can't have you dozing off around the witches" he joked, I looked at him whilst lying on my side

"As long as you get some sleep too. You don't need to fly the TARDIS tonight." I said, he looked at me and sighed

"I'll try..." he said defiantly "can be tricky sometimes". I rolled over and closed my eyes

"Well I'm right here if you need me. Goodnight Doctor" I said gently

"Night Lily" he responded bluntly.

I didn't dream that night. When I was little my dad would tell me it was fairies stealing my nightmares but my mother told me it was witches stealing my dreams. I was beginning to think maybe my mother, for once, was the one telling the truth because after what was probably only an hours sleep, I was woken by screams. Before I'd even completely opened my eyes the Doctor was up. I moved so quickly to try and follow that my sleepy legs almost buckled beneath me, I managed to keep my footing and catch up to the Doctor. We entered Shakespeare's room to find the barmaid lay dead on the floor. Shakespeare seemed to have just woken up when we entered

"Wha'? What was that?" he asked startled. I saw something shift in the sky outside and ran to the window

"Her heart gave out. She died of fright." The Doctor explained whilst examining the body. I stared at what I saw outside, clear and as blatant as anything, the silhouette of a witch flying a broomstick, cackling with malicious glee as she zoomed over the rooftops and away, disappearing somewhere in between the light of the moon and the shadows of the streets below.

"Witches stole my dreams..." I whispered

"Lily?" The Doctor said my name after hearing me whisper something he couldn't hear. He joined me at the window looking for what I was staring at "What did you see?" he asked concerned. I could hardly believe what i was about to say, what I'd already seen, but there was no other possibility, I answered, feeling more and more insane

"a witch."


	27. Session 27: Blimey

After sitting up all night with a mourning Shakespeare the sun began to make its appearance, it turned the sky orange as it slowly crawled up from behind the silhouetted buildings, the Doctor and Shakespeare were conversing, I however had fallen asleep slouched in my chair. A cock crowed as the sun beams hit the glass of Shakespeare window, waking me up. I sat forward, extremely confused by the angle I was sat at. I felt myself topple from my chair as a result of not knowing which way is up for a few moments. The Doctor grabbed my arm hauling me back up onto the chair, I rubbed my eyes and as the sleepy blur cleared I could see the grief-stricken look on the bards face

"How you might sleep at a time like this is beyond me" Shakespeare said to me, I sighed

"Sorry, but I guess you could say I'm not a stranger to... well... strangeness" I explained, Shakespeare only sighed

"Sweet lady you never fail to amaze me, worry not." He said resting his chin on his hands "Oh, sweet Dolly Bailey. She sat out three bouts of the plague in this place. We all ran like rats. But what could have scared her so? She had such enormous spirit." He changed the subject back to the barmaid, again mourning his lost friend

"'Rage, rage against the dying of the light.'" The Doctor said bluntly

"I might use that" Shakespeare responded with a sudden light about him

"You can't. It's someone else's" The Doctor responded knocking the interest right out of Shakespeare

"We're still discussing this? I told you I saw a witch." I said casually, although slightly offended that I'd told them I'd seen a witch and they just disregarded it.

"You're not the first." Shakespeare said from behind his desk "Peter Streete spoke of witches."

"Who now?" I asked

"Our builder. He sketched the plans to the Globe."

"The architect. Hold on. The architect! The architect!" The Doctor began thoughtfully, he suddenly slammed his fist on the table "The Globe! Come on!" he said rushing out, Shakespeare and I hastily followed.

Later on when we arrived at the Globe, Shakespeare insisted I join him on stage while the Doctor looked around. The bard watched me as I looked around me in delight

"Your gait is that of a performer my ivory skinned beauty" he said watching me carefully as I moved "your steps no longer step but glide, your movements flow like a river and your expression gentle and soft, you seem to shimmer with a sweet satisfaction, as if you were home. So many men have attempted to imitate your gait sweet poet, none have. You have graced the stage before, that, sweet poet, is clear to see." He smiled as he watched me

"Once" I said casually "A long time ago, and it was only once" I explained thinking back to the drama production I was in back when I was in school, its wasn't a huge roll, I mean it couldn't be, it was me. It was only once since it only made the bullying worse, I don't know why I thought it would help but it was good fun until after the performance when the 'mean girls' lay into me for it.

"The columns there, right? 14 sides. I've always wondered but I never asked... tell me, Will, why 14 sides?" Came the Doctors voice from the pit

"It was the shape Peter Streete thought best, that's all. Said it carried the sound well." Shakespeare responded

"Why does that ring a bell... 14" The Doctor pondered

"14 lines in a sonnet?" I suggested

"So there is. Good point. Words and shapes following the same design." The Doctor began pacing thinking hard "14 lines, 14 sides, 14 facets…Oh, my head. Tetradecagon... think, think, think! Words, letters, numbers, lines!"

"It's just a theatre" Shakespeare responded watching as the Doctor paced

"Oh, but a theatre's magic, isn't it? You should know. Stand on this stage, say the right words with the right emphasis a the right time... Oh, you can make men weep, or cry with joy, change them. You can change people's minds just with words in this place. And if you exaggerate that..." The Doctor buzzed excitedly, he paused thoughtfully and his tone quietened

"Any ideas?" I asked watching him carefully for any signs of ideas

"No but Tell you what, though. Peter Streete would know. Can I talk to him?" he asked

"You won't get an answer. A month after finishing this place... lost his mind." I looked at Shakespeare who was slowly walking down from the stage as he spoke, I sat down on the edge listening

"What happened to him?" I asked

"Started raving about witches, hearing voices, babbling. His mind was addled." The bard explained. I jumped down from the stage joining the men in the pit

"Where is he now?" The Doctor asked

"Bedlam" responded Shakespeare bluntly

"Where?" I asked having not received enough to go on

"Bethlem Hospital. The madhouse." He explained, The Doctor looked at me

"Lily, didn't you say you volunteered in a psych ward?" he asked and I nodded

"Good then we have an advantage! We're going to go there, now, come on!" he said quickly leading us out of the globe. I pushed myself to catch up with him but it was difficult

"The ward I worked in wasn't a Shakespearian one, nor was the one I lived in." I whispered to him making sure Shakespeare couldn't hear

"Wait! I'm coming with you. I want to witness this at first hand!" The bard called after us quickly catching up, bringing our conversation to a swift end. Two actors entered the Globe as we were leaving Shakespeare shouted to them on the way out "Ralph, the last scene as promised. Copy it, hand it round. Learn it. Speak it. Back before curtain up. Remember, kid, project. Eyes and teeth. You never know — the Queen might turn up." He turned away and mumbled under his breath "as if, she never does". I was following the Doctor closely out of the theatre and into the street.

"So... do you have a plan?" I asked the Doctor, he looked at me with a smile, he always seemed to be smiling which I loved

"Just making it up as I go, always seems to work" he said happily, I smiled at him as we continued to walk to the madhouse. It wasn't long before Shakespeare approached me again

"Tell me sweet poet of your mysterious homeland, where women can be writers and actors"

"I am from a land in which a woman can do anything she wishes. A woman rules this very country" I said rolling my eyes

"Ah, she's royal. That's God's business. Though you are a royal beauty." He said. I stopped abruptly and scowled at him

"Bard this is the last time I shall address thee with patience, my temper grows ever thin. I am spoken for, yet you continue to disrespect me with such comments in the presence of my husband." I barked at him beginning to walk further ahead.

"But Lillian" he began but the Doctor cut him off

"Come on, you'll have plenty of time to harass my wife later"

"Is that a promise Doctor?" he asked and I glared at him before looking at the Doctor

"Can't we just give him to the witches?" I asked, I knew we couldn't, but it was with a shot

"Not if you want to live through this" The Doctor said, I sighed

"Yeah I know. I had to try" I responded disappointed. We arrived at Bethlem about ten minutes later, we were lead through the dank corridors by a jailer

"Does my lord, Doctor, wish some entertainment while he waits? I'd whip these madmen. They'll put on a good show for ya. Bandog and Bedlam!" The jailer offered, the Doctor scowled at him

"No, I don't!" he barked. The jailer led us further down the corridor, ignoring the Doctors hostility, before stopping.

"Wait here, my lords, while I make him decent for the lady." He said before heading off

"Wow" I said looking around "and I thought I had it bad. At least I wasn't whipped. You put your friend in here?!" I said to the bard, outraged

"Oh and it's all so different in your mysterious land" he said bitterly and I glared at him

"I've BEEN in a madhouse. It messed me up, it SERIOUSLY messed me up, but it was nothing compared to this! You're smart, can you honestly tell me this place helps?!" I barked

"I've been mad. I've lost my mind. Fear of this place set me right again. It serves its purpose." He said. I looked at him with a softer look in my eyes

"So have I... fear made me worse. Fear has made many other people worse"

"I lost my son Lillian" he said to me gently "my only boy, the black death took him. I wasn't even there" he said hanging his head

"I know." I said gently

"It made me question everything. The futility of this fleeting existence. To be or not to be... oh, that's quite good."

"You should write that down" the Doctor suggested

"Hm, maybe not. A bit pretentious?" he responded. The jailer called from the bottom of the corridor

"This way m'lord!" he called. We followed the voice to a cell were a thin, weak man sat curled up on the floor. The jailer unlocked the door and let us inside "They can be dangerous, m'lord. Don't know their own strength." The jailer advised the Doctor

"I think it helps if you don't whip them! Now get out!" The Doctor barked. At this the jailer left and the Doctor approached Peter slowly "Peter? Peter Streete?" he asked gently.

"He's the same as he was. You'll get nothing out of him." Shakespeare advised but nobody was listening. The Doctor gently lay a hand on Peters shoulder

"Peter?" he asked again. The man jerked his head up, to revel skeletal features and wild, glassy eyes. He looked as if he wanted to speak, but was struggling. Eventually he managed to speak but in broken tired words

"P-Pretty lady... S-Sweet broken lady..." he spoke and the Doctor looked at him confused

"Who's this Peter? Who's the pretty lady?" The Doctor asked. Peter turned slowly looking right at me he lifted his hand, offering it to me

"Pretty lady... pretty lady has seen witches... pretty lady believes Peter" he stuttered, I gently took his hand and allowed him to lead me around him and down so that I was knelt in front of him, at his level.

"Hello Peter" I said gently "my name's Lily"

"Lily" he repeated "beautiful name, beautiful name for beautiful woman" he shuffled forward slightly, holding my hands in his cold shaky grip "Pretty Lily, beautiful Lily, you believe Peter, Lily seen witches too" he babbled at me

"Yes Peter of course I believe you. Peter, will you tell me about the witches? Tell me what they did to you" I said gently, Peter nodded

"Witches spoke to Peter. In the night, they whispered. Got Peter to build the Globe to their design. THEIR design! The 14 walls — always 14. When the work was done" he laughed "they sapped poor Peter's wits."

"Where did you see the witches Peter?" I asked he only chuckled a weak disturbed chuckle "Peter" I said again getting his attention again "Won't you tell me? If you tell me I can help get rid of the witches, would that make you happy?" I asked and he quickly nodded

"All Hallows Street" he said quietly and I smiled

"Thank you Peter" I said quietly, he smiled and seemed to relax until a haggard old woman appeared behind the Doctor. I jumped at the sight of her twisted worn face, her skin was leathery and the white of her eyes were tinted yellow, either from age or...cauldron smoke. Her long wart spotted nose arched down over her thin cracked lips and pointed yellow teeth. There was nothing about her that wasn't stereotypical of a witch, she shrieked

"Too many words!" she bellowed in a croaky aged voice The Doctor ran towards Peter and I, he pulled me up from the floor and to my feet "Just one touch of the heart" the witch cackled as she lunged towards Peter. I reached forward trying to urge Peter to dodge her but he was stricken with fear, like a deer in the headlights. The Doctor held me still as I watched as she lay her crooked bony finger on Peter, who died with a tired sigh.

"Witch! I'm seeing a witch!" Shakespeare cried out

"Who would be next, hmm? Just one touch." Cackled the hunched old creature before us "Oh, oh, I'll stop your frantic hearts. Poor, fragile mortals." She mocked. I ran for the gates and began rattling them frantically, they were locked. I kicked them in frustration

"God damn it!" I snapped, I turned to face the witch again, pressing my back to the bars, the Doctor stood his ground

"You didn't think they'd leave the gates unlocked did you Lily?" he said, almost jokingly "with all the people trying to escape" he continued

"Who will die first hm?" the witch repeated

"Well if you're looking for volunteers..." the Doctor said taking a step closer to the witch

"Doctor don't!" I protested

"Can you stop her, Doctor?" Shakespeare asked. The witch scoffed

"No mortal has power over me!" she said with a dark pride

"Oh, but there's a power in words. If I can find the right one — if I can just know you..." The Doctor pondered, staring intently at the witch, as if looking for some sort of label. As if she'd be wearing a name tag

"None on earth has knowledge of us!" she barked as the Doctor grinned

"Then it's a good thing I'm here. Now think, think, think... Humanoid female, uses shapes and words to channel energy... ah, 14! That's it! 14! The 14 stars of the Rexel planetary configuration! Creature, I name you Carrionite!" he shouted at the creature, almost like a war cry. She wailed and vanished before our eyes. I burst out laughing

"What in the 14 stars of the Rexel planetary configuration was that?" I said repeating something I'd heard him say. Both men looked at me as I wiped away a tear from my eye trying to calm my laughter.

"What are you doing?" asked the Doctor, raising his eyebrow as I finally caught my breath and sighed as my laughter came to a halt.

"Nervous laugh" I explained. "That was just... terrifying." I said with a small chuckle "anyway can you explain to me what that was all about before they lock me up in here?" I asked not quite being able to get rid of my amused/horrified smile.

"I named her" he began "The power of a name, that's old magic"

"I thought you said there was no such thing as magic?" I asked

"Well, it's just a different sort of science. You lot, you chose mathematics. Given the right string of numbers, the right equation, you can split the atom. Carrionites use words instead." He explained

"Use them for what?" asked the bard in a shaky tone, obviously still slightly shocked. The Doctors eyes seemed to darken

"The end of the world" was all he said, his tone was dark and serious... almost dangerous. I was scared, surely we all were, which is why I will never understand why I said, what I said, next

"Blimey"


	28. Session 28: Love's Labours Won

The Doctor rallied us and lead us out of the hospital and back to the Inn. Shakespeare, still shaken, retreated to his room. We followed. He sat down behind his desk, the Doctor leaned against a wall, obviously sensing his confusion, he began to explain

"The Carrionites disappeared way back at the dawn of the universe. Nobody was sure if they were real or legend." I sat on the floor on the opposite side of the room feeling weary, I tilted my head back and stared at the ceiling

"She looked pretty real to me" I said resting my eyes

"What do they want?" asked the bard with a shaky tone

"A new empire on Earth. A world of bones and blood and witchcraft." The Doctor explained, I grinned

"Sounds nice" I said sarcastically

"Y'know Lillian" the Doctor began "sarcasm is the lowest form of wit" he said looking at me seriously I only continued to grin

"Then I must be lacking where humour is concerned" I opened my eyes and looked at him "I'm just trying to make light of the situation, wallowing in negativity isn't going to help"

"A man just died Lillian!" the Doctor barked at me but my tone stayed steady

"Yes, and I'm no happier than you about it" I said calmly "but brooding over him isn't going to bring him back."

"Neither is making jokes" The Doctor argued

"Maybe not, but at least if we're not scared stiff we might be able to muster up just that little bit extra courage"

"And jokes are supposed to stop us being scared?" Shakespeare jumped in, I looked at him

"They're supposed to help us forget our fear... if only for a little while." I explained. The room fell silent I looked back at the Doctor "So... this new empire. Where does one begin with a project like that?" I asked. The Doctor looked over at Shakespeare

"With the man with the words" he said simply

"Me? But I've done nothing." He said surprised. I thought for a moment about what the Doctor said, the man with the words...

"What were you doing last night?" I asked the bard suddenly "The witch... um Carrionite was in here, it must have been" he shrugged

"Finishing the play" he said casually

"What happens on the last page?" The Doctor asked

"The boys get the girls. They have a bit of a dance. It's all as funny and thought provoking as usual — except those last few lines. Funny thing is... I don't actually remember writing them." The bard summed up for us. Suddenly the Doctor seemed to erupt into a fountain of understanding and ideas

"That's it. They used you. They gave you the final words. Likea spell, like a code. 'Love's Labours Won' — it's a weapon! The right combination of words, spoken at the right place with the shape of the Globe as an energy converter! The play's the thing! And yes, you can have that." He ranted excitedly he pulled map from one of the shelves and spread it out on Shakespeare's desk, he pointed out a location on the map "All Hallows Street. There it is. Lilly, we'll track them down. Will, you get to the Globe. Whatever you do, stop that play!" he barked the commands and the bards face seemed to illuminate

"I'll do it." He said quickly leaning forward to shake the Doctors hand "All these years I've been the cleverest man around. Next to you, I know nothing. It's marvellous! Good luck Doctor!" he said with a rather sweet admiration.

"Good luck Shakespeare" the Doctor responded happily whilst heading for the door "Once more unto the breach!" he said enthusiastically

"I like that. Wait a minute... that's one of mine." Shakespeare called from behind his desk, I watched as the Doctor poked his head around the door

"Oh just shift!" he said to us both, I smiled and chased after him, he led me through stinking streets and putrid alleys until we reached All Hallows Street. I paused whilst the Doctor looked at each door

"Huh..." I said thoughtfully

"What?" the Doctor asked

"All Hallows Street... bit obvious don't you think?" I asked

"How's that?" The Doctor asked, clearly not getting it

"All Hallows Street... All Hallows' Eve?" I tried to drop some more hints for him but he still wasn't getting it. "Really? You're not getting it?" I asked, astounded that the Doctor had missed something, he raised an eyebrow and I sighed "Never mind. Which house is it?" I asked having given up. We scoured the street until one door slowly opened on its own. I looked at the Doctor

"Could that be our house?" I asked

"Only one way to find out" he responded quickly heading for the door. We wandered inside, the house was wretched, it stunk like no other and it very air seemed to hang heavily as if thick with moisture. A young woman stood in the centre, smiling darkly s we entered "I take it we're expected?" the Doctor asked

"Oh, I think Death has been waiting for you a very long time." The woman grinned maliciously, I shifted where I stood and leaned in to the Doctor

"Aren't you going to name her?" I asked

"The power of a name works only once" the girl said with a smirk "I would show you, but it appears the name you bear is not your own..." The witch laughed suddenly "Oh what a sad, sad turn of events, the human knows not it's own name!" I stepped back, slightly shocked by what the witch was saying

"I know my own name!" I barked

"No you don't" The Doctor stepped in "Your names always been Lily, That's the name you chose for yourself when we... well that's the name you chose. It's not your real name" he explained and I gasped and lowered my eyes.

"Great. Now I don't even know my name" I said with a sigh

"The Carrionites vanished" The Doctor said to the witch "where did you go?" he asked

"The Eternals found the right word to banish us into deep darkness." The witch explained

"Then how did you escape?" he asked

"New words. New and glittering from a mind like no other." She answered all of his questions almost mindlessly. I heard the Doctor whisper

"Shakespeare"

"His son perished. The grief of a genius. Grief without measure. Madness enough to allow us entrance." The witch went on

"How many of you?" The Doctor asked becoming increasingly concerned

"Just the three. But the play tonight shall restore the rest. Then the human race will be purged as pestilence. And from this world we will lead the universe back to the old ways of blood and magic." She explained, taking a sick delight in the idea of her new world

"Hmm... busy schedule... but first you gotta get past me." The Doctor spoke in a frighteningly casual tone. The witch slinked over to him and spoke seductively, which made my blood boil

"Oh, that should be a pleasure considering my enemy has such a handsome shape." She ran her fingers across his face and I clenched my fists with rage

"Now, that's one form of magic that's definitely not gonna work on me." The Doctor said casually "besides, don't want to upset my wife now do you?" he asked mockingly. The witch smirked and yanked a lock of hair from his head and backed away

"I beg to differ" she said victoriously. The Doctor felt around his head for where she'd pulled

"What did you do?" he asked, she showed him the lock of hair

"Souvenir" she said casually

"Well give it back!" the Doctor barked. The witch threw her arms into the air, the windows behind her swung open with a crash and she levitated outside, The Doctor ran to the windowsill. I went to follow but he turned to ace me quickly "No!" he shouted at me "stay there" he said more calmly, I didn't quite go to the windowsill but I stayed close to him

"Behold, Doctor. Men to Carrionites are nothing but puppets." The witch bragged, she took out a doll and wrapped his hair around it

"Now, you might call that magic... I'd call that a DNA replication module." The Doctor said cleverly. I could hardly see what was happening from where I stood. I shuffled constantly trying to get a better view.

"What use is your science now?" I heard her say. She stabbed the doll and I watched the Doctor fall to the floor. The witch cackled and flew off. I ran to the Doctors side and rolled him onto his back

"It's OK Doctor, you'll be fine" I said not sure what exactly to do. I glared out of the window at the silhouetted witch as it slowly vanished "That b-"

"Better pay attention to your wounded hubby eh Lily?" The Doctor said interrupting me I helped him to his feet and he stumbled. I helped support him

"I've only got one heart working! God how do humans cope?!" he winced "I've got to get the other one started! Hit me! Hit me on the chest!" he ordered. So I did, I thumped him as hard as I could on the back "Ah! Other side!" he winced, I did it again "left a bit" he said still writhing slightly, I thumped him again and he stood up "There we go! Ba-da-boom! Well, what are you standing there for? Come on! The Globe!" He rushed of and I began to quietly chuckle. He looked at me with an amused grin "nervous laugh?" he asked and through my exhausted chuckles I nodded

"Yeah." I said weakly

"You're a nervous wreck Lily" he said with a grin as he disappeared out of the room, I caught up to him and thumped him in the arm

"I wonder why!" I said sarcastically as he led me back to the theatre, I thought to myself it would probably help a lot if, in situations such as this, I actually bothered to memorise the routes, not that the Doctor was exactly slow himself. That was until I noticed something very different about a street we were currently running through "We're going the wrong way!" I shouted at the Doctor

"No we're not" he argued before pausing and turning to run down a different street "we're going the wrong way!" he shouted at me, I grinned and followed. Yes, it would definitely help if I bothered to memorise routes. I began to hear very faint screams, which grew louder as we approached the Globe. A red and purple smoke hung above the theatre mixed in with thunderclouds and lightening.

"I'd really like to make a global warming joke right about now... but I wont" I said awe-stricken by the terrifying sight before us

"Good" the Doctor responded "come on!" We pushed through the crowds and entered through the backstage doors where we saw Shakespeare sat down wearily rubbing his head

"Stop the play! I think that was it. Yeah, I said, "Stop the play"!" The Doctor barked at him slightly, Shakespeare looked up at him weakly

"I hit my head" he said feebly

"Yeah, don't rub it. You'll go bald" The Doctor replied, the sounds of screams rung through the walls and the Doctor nade for the stage door "Thats my cue" he said as he rushed out on stage. I grabbed Shakespeare by the hand and pulled him along as I followed him. We ran out on stage to see the three witches sat in one of the boxes parallel to the stage

"Now begins the millennium of blood!" The all cackled at once

"The Doctor! He lives! Then watch this world become a blasted heath! They come! They come!" Shrieked the young witch from before. Suddenly the sky seemed to open, and thousands of shadows began flying uncontrollably around the Globe, shrieking and cackling as they whirred around us. The Doctor grabbed Shakespeare

"Come on Will history needs you!" he shouted above the noise

"But what can I do?" Shakespeare asked, as scared as anyone else would be

"Reverse it!" The Doctor shouted

"How?!" Shakespeare cried becoming increasingly panicked

"The shape of the Globe gives words power, but you're the wordsmith, the one true genius. The only man clever enough to do it!" The Doctor shouted, Shakespeare sighed, he knew something needed to be done. He looked up at the whirring red vortex of creatures and with a fierce, powerful voice he began

"Close up this den of hateful, dire decay! Decomposition of your witches' plot! You thieve my brains, consider me your toy. My doting Doctor tells me I am not!" The witches shrieked as Shakespeare's words battled powerfully against their own "Foul Carrionite spectres, cease your show! Between the points..." He looked at the Doctor

"7-6-1-3-9-0!" he shouted to him, Shakespeare turned back to the witches and repeated

"7-6-1-3-9-0! And banished like a tinker's cuss, I say to thee..." he looked at the Doctor again who, this time, didn't have any ideas. Without thinking, I shouted the first thing that came to mind

"Expelliarmus!" I shouted

"Expelliarmus!" The Doctor repeated

"Expelliarmus!" Shakespeare completed his verse

"Good old JK!" The Doctor shouted victoriously as the Carrionites screamed

"The deep darkness! They are consumed! Ahhh!" They screamed as the shadows were sucked up by the vortex along with all of the copies of the play. At that moment, something inside me went insane. It was most likely the adrenaline, or the buzz of saving the world, or maybe just the satisfaction of watching those horrid things disappear but, like I said, something happened. It felt like my stomach did a back-flip, without thinking I burst out laughing with delight, punched the air and finally, grabbed the Doctor by the arm and pulled him towards me, locking lips with him. At that moment the wind seemed to fall silent, my hearts raced and it felt like I could feel the world turning beneath us. I felt, almost limp as he pulled me closer to him, holding me tightly, returning my kiss. My arms hung limp over his shoulders as I felt the cool wind die down and the theatre, for a moment, remain silent. We moved away and he stared into my eyes with a soft smile, I let out a chuckle and he smiled

"Nervous?" he asked and I nodded "Don't be" he said gently before leaning in and kissing me once more, at this the audience erupted into fits of applause. We had to separate due to the huge smile that was forming on my face, The Doctor looked at me with a huge grin "I thought you didn't like the Harry Potter books?" he asked, and I sighed

"OK so I might have read one or two or all of the books... doesn't mean I liked them" I said jokingly. The Doctor grinned

"You liar"


	29. Session 29: In Loving Memory

That same evening after a rushed goodbye to the bard as a result of a unfortunate brush with Queen Elizabeth I. The Doctor and I sat quietly in the TARDIS unsure of exactly what to say about everything that had just happened.

"Lily" he said breaking the silence, the silence wasn't awkward, it was a kind of... happy silence. We were both happy, just... lost for words. I turned to face him with a smile

"Yeah?" I asked, he raised an eyebrow at me and walked closer

"I just thought we should talk about what happened... out there" he said gently and I smiled happily

"Why? Don't you remember? Here let me remind you!" I said happily moving towards him, but before I could place my lips quickly on his he placed his fingers on my own. I looked at them confused, the Doctor spoke quickly

"Now Lily, before you do anything I need to know, that wasn't just... y'know a passing whim out there? It wasn't just adrenaline or happiness or-" I cut him off placing my lips on his once more. I ran my fingers through his thick brown hair and sighed happily before moving away and looking him right in the eye

"What do you think?" I asked in a low voice. He shrugged

"Alright then" he said quickly before kissing me again, this time deeper. He moved away and I sighed shivering slightly

"Oh I'll never get tired of that" I said happily, he winked

"I've been waiting hundreds of years for that kiss" he said quietly. I smirked and turned slowly, leaning on the console

"Oh really" I said slowly with a smug grin "Doctor, Doctor you didn't tell me we were romantically linked". He smirked

"We were much more than that" he said happily, heading over to the console himself "Now Lillian, there's been something I've wanted to do for you, something I haven't quite gotten around to yet" he said as he began his odd button pressing, lever pulling, knob twisting ritual that was piloting the TARDIS. I chuckled

"What wonder are you gunna show me now Doctor dearest? What far off galaxy, what intergalactic war, what magical alien with shimmering turquoise scales?" I spoke happily in almost a sing-song way the Doctor only smiled

"Oh Lily, lovely, lovely Lily" he pushed a button on the panel "It's going to be so much better than that" The TARDIS shuddered and I grabbed one of the rails with a shocked 'ah' laced with a happy giggle. The TARDIS came to a quick stop and the Doctor sighed and looked at me. "You ready?" he asked and I laughed

"I don't know!" I said happily "You won't tell me where we are and what for!" The Doctor only smiled

"Well we're only on earth. It's nothing new" he said heading to the door and I laughed

"OK I'll play your game, WHEN are we?" I asked

"When?" he repeated, he paused making his usual thinking noises "I'd say about twenty maybe twenty one years ago"

"Twenty one years ay?" I asked curiously "Why that many years, exactly?" I asked, he only turned to the door

"Oh you'll see" he said opening the TARDIS door. We stepped out into a field not far from what looked like a fairly inactive road surrounding an estate I didn't really recognise at all.

"Where are we?" I asked looking around for any familiar features

"C'mere" he said. I walked over and he put his arm around my shoulders pointing up at a tall building

"Canary Wharf" I said looking at the tall building

"Yep." The Doctor said casually "Torchwood. Here, the battle hasn't even happened yet" he explained, I looked at him

"Should... should we maybe go warn them?" I asked, he shook his head

"Nah, fixed point in time. Must be. If Canary Wharf doesn't happen, Rose doesn't cross over, we would've probably never wound up at the Globe and the world would've ended" he explained simply

"If Rose was with us, why would we have never went to Shakespearean times?" I asked

"Well going there was supposed to be my treat to you, a leisure day. If Rose was here she'd probably want to do something else" he explained and I shrugged

"I guess so." I looked up at the building "Shame, so many people died and... well... just the thought that they were _supposed _to... it seems kind of wrong." I said thoughtfully before turning to look at the Doctor again "Is this what you wanted to show me?" I asked and he shook his head.

"No" he turned me around as a car drove into the street "That is". I watched as the car drove in slowly, all I could make out was a silhouette. He quickly grabbed my hand and we ran towards the car. To my surprise the car stopped when the person inside saw us, The Doctor slowed to a stop

"Lily... before you do or say anything. You can't tell him who you really are" The Doctor said gently

"What are you talking abo-" I began, I stopped when I recognised the man right away. It was my dad. He walked towards us at first slowly but he seemed to speed up the closer he got

"Wait a minute" I heard the Doctor say quietly, I looked at him

"What?" I asked and he only laughed and began running towards my dad

"It's you!" he shouted happily, my dad laughed and gave him a hug, he was a big man, beer bellied and bearded. Like a giant teddy bear.

"Good to see you Doctor" he said in a low gruff voice whilst giving him what looked like a hard pat on the back. The Doctor smiled and my dad looked at me "My little girl" he said opening his arms "come give daddy a hug!" he said happily. I felt tears well up in my eyes as I looked at the man I thought I'd never see again in my life, the man who disappeared from my life in an instant never to come back. My daddy, the first man I ever loved, my daddy who died. Yet here he was with his arms open and his warm smile, looking right at me.

"Daddy" I whimpered happily as tears began to roll down my cheeks. I ran to him as quickly as my legs would carry me. I didn't know how he knew who I was and I didn't care, all that mattered was he knew. I jumped onto him and he picked me up and spun me around in his warm tight hug. He put me down and wiped away my tears with a smile, as his own eyes started to water

"My baby girl... you're..." he sniffed and wiped his eyes "you're all grown up! You're the image of your mother Lily" he smiled happily but I looked confused

"My mum?" I asked confused "No I don't..." my dad smiled

"Yes, you do. Your REAL mum" he said with a smile. He smiled when I continued to look confused "Come back to the house, you must have a lot of questions" he said before leading us back.

At the house he made the Doctor and I tea and sat in the living room with us.

"Lily, remember when I told you the parents that raised you weren't your parents?" the Doctor asked, I nodded

"Yeah"

"Well I was wrong" he said with a smile and a laugh "well half wrong, Lily, meet your daddy, your real, pure blood, Time Lord, big hairy daddy!" He said with an excited laugh and I smiled

"So that's why I kept the name Lily..." I said looking at him "Why did you never tell me?" I asked

"Your regeneration failed, Everything in your body was dead apart from your brain, so when I rescued you from that planet you went into survival mode, gave yourself the appearance of the weakest form of life, a baby. How am I supposed to tell a baby she's a time lady? By the time you were old enough to understand... well... I wasn't around." He explained

"How did you-" I began but he cut me off

"You're my little girl" he said with a smile "I know everything about you" he looked at the Doctor "By the way, I might have borrowed your TARDIS to get her back when you were resting here" he said to the Doctor whose eyes widened

"You what?" he asked

"Hey, I saved my daughter and your girlfriend from death. I got her back safe didn't I?" Dad argued

"The TARDIS or Lily?" The Doctor asked

"Both" my dad replied, he looked back at me "After I got you back I decided to peek into your future, to see if you made it. You did, I didn't." He sighed "I'm sorry, for everything." He said

"I don't care about that. I don't care that you didn't tell me, I don't care that you borrowed the TARDIS or any of that, one thing I don't understand dad, is..." I lowered my head a little "Why did you leave me with her?" I asked tearing up "Why did you leave me with that woman, did you love her?" I asked and he nodded

"For a while yes, while we were a family unit she was wonderful, never lay a finger on you. But then I saw what happened after I died" he said sadly "I'm sorry, but I can't change that now. Otherwise-"

"Otherwise I wouldn't have met the Doctor" I finished his sentence "Don't worry dad. I wouldn't change a minute of it, because it brought me here" My voice cracked as tears gathered in my eyes. My dad came over and hugged me tightly

"My little girl, you're not my little girl anymore. You're a beautiful young woman now, and I couldn't be prouder of you" he said gently, he kissed my head gently "I've seen the things you've done, and the things you're going to do and you're so much stronger than I could ever hope to have been" He stepped back and looked at the Doctor who was smiling "and you Doctor." He handed him a note "You have my blessing" The Doctor took the note and smiled

"You knew we were coming?" he asked and my dad smiled and nodded towards me

"That's my little girl" he said proudly "I already told you, I know everything about her. Don't open that yet" he said to the Doctor who was looking carefully at the note. He nodded and put it in his pocket

"Anything you say Chief" he said cheerfully

"You'll know when you need to open it" he said happily

"Chief?" I asked curiously

"yeah" my dad responded "My name, like Doctor or Lily"

"Your real name?" I asked and he shook his head, he leaned in and whispered in my ear, his name and my name

"You know you must never let anyone know your name Lily" the Doctor said

"Yeah" I responded "Because it can be dangerous, like those Carrionites said" My name seemed to bring back some memories, made me feel like I was someone again, like I had an identity.

"Well, you're here. So that can only mean one thing" My dad said picking up some keys from the bench I watched him intently

"What?" I asked, he sighed

"It's time to go" he said bluntly "it was good to see you, I had to be sure you'd be OK"

"Where are you going?" I asked, he smiled and ruffled my hair

"Lily... you know what the date today is, don't you?" The Doctor asked and I shook my head

"November 15th" he said gently "20 years ago"

"The day I die" my dad explained and I shook my head

"No... no you didn't die until I was eight..." I said confused

"No Lily, I died today, you're only a few months old" he explained and I shook my head

"That's impossible, I remember you raising me!"

"What you remember Lily is our time on Gallifrey. It's not surprising you remember it; you're a Time Lady after all. You'd been through a lot of trauma and your memories were mixed up. When your step mother raised you, she raised you as a human, she didn't know who I was or who you are, so Lily Halidae the human, became you. Because of your failed regeneration your memories were already hazy, when you were then left alone among humans, they almost disappeared, they were forced out and replaced with new, human memories although not all of them disappeared, that's why you've always been so confused." I lowered my head and sighed

"It can't be today... how do you know it's today?" I asked, I wanted to cry but couldn't. There was a lump in my throat I felt like I was choking on and my eyes stung

"I went into the future remember?" he said taking hold of my shoulder "I had to find out you were OK" he looked at the Doctor who stood up

"We need to go now" he said and I finally began to tear up

"Dad, I'm so so sorry... if I'd known I would've been so much stronger... I would've never done even half of the things I did... I'm so sorry. God I wish I'd known!" I said sobbing slightly. He knelt down beside me and hugged me

"I couldn't be prouder of you sweetheart. You got through it after all, which is so much more than I could've ever hoped to do" he wiped away a tear and I heard his voice start to tremble "Don't cry. I need you to be brave for me." He sniffed "sweetheart, seeing you today has made me so happy, I'm not scared of what's going to happen because I know it's going to help you become who you are" I sighed and wiped away the last of my tears

"Thank you" I said quietly standing up, he gave me a hug and led us to the door of the house where he walked out with us, locking the door behind him. It was depressing to watch him, knowing he knew he'd never step back inside his home. We reached the end of the driveway where we were due to part ways, he gave me one final hug and looked at me

"I don't know what's going to happen to me Lily and I don't care. I'm ready for it, as long as you promise me one thing." He said gently and I nodded

"What is it?" I asked

"You need to remember our time on Gallifrey, there was much more of it" he said with a smile and I nodded

"OK" I said forcing a smile, I hugged him trying to push back my tears with a smile "You'll be OK daddy, just be brave" I sniffed, not hiding my tears very well "I love you" I said with a whimper

"I love you too sweetheart" he said letting me go and stepping back "goodbye Lily" he said, I only smiled and nodded as he walked off. I couldn't say goodbye, I couldn't. The Doctor and I headed back to the TARDIS

"he doesn't know what happens to him?" The Doctor asked, I kept my head down all the way back

"Would you want to know?" I asked and he shook his head

"Guess not" there was a pause "Lily, what did happen to him?"

"he was mugged" I said bluntly "stabbed, bled out on the pavement" I said clenching my fists with rage and grinding my teeth. It was silent the rest of the journey, I couldn't stop thinking about his death. He'd be there all alone and in pain, I was thinking about how I'd just walked away from him and left him. It was making me sick with guilt. It wasn't until we reached the TARDIS when it hit me. I took hold of the door handle and just fell forward. Resting my head on the wooden door I was overcome with those thoughts. My grip tightened on the handle and my knuckles turned white

"Lily?" The Doctor sounded concerned "What's wrong?" At that point I snapped. I pushed myself away from the door hard and ran as fast as my legs could carry me in the opposite direction. I shouted at the Doctor who quickly followed me as I ran

"I forgot to say goodbye"


	30. Session 30: The Centuries Shadow

I ran for what felt like forever desperately searching for where he was killed

"Do you even know where you're going?" The Doctor wheezed as he caught up with me

"The alleyway near the local pub, he was dragged off the streets and out of sight" I said quickly, picking up my pace "Hurry up, I don't have a lot of time and I'm not waiting for you!" I said to him urgently

"Strange, usually I'm the one saying that" he said out of breath. I skidded to a halt near the alley and watched as the mugger ran a knife through my father's chest, again and again and again. He collapsed to his knees and then down onto his front. The mugger saw me and made a dash. I ran after him, rage pulsing through me. The Doctor came up behind me and grabbed me stopping me from chasing the mugger

"Let me go! Let me go!" I screamed

"Calm down Lily! This isn't helping!" the Doctor shouted over me and I continued to struggle, only stopping when I heard my dad cough. At that I slipped from the Doctors grip and knelt down beside him, for a moment I'd forgotten my priorities, I'd forgotten why I'd came back.

"Lily" he said weakly "I didn't want you to see this" he said in a strained voice

"I'm sorry" I said gently "I would've got here sooner but I'm not much of a runner" I smiled and he laughed weakly

"You take after me" he said happily "sorry about that" he said jokingly

"Don't be stupid" I said taking hold of his hand gently

"Why did you come back?" he asked holding onto my hand

"I forgot to say goodbye" I said gently "I couldn't go without saying goodbye could I?" I asked. My dad gave a small laugh

"Suppose not" he said, he gave one long sigh and I knew he didn't have long left

"You could regenerate!" I said panicked "You still have time!"

"I can't" he said weakly "This is a fixed point in time, it must always happen"

"Why?" I asked sadly "Why do you NEED to die?"

"So that you and the Doctor can save the Time Lords" he said

"The Time Lords are already gone Chief" The Doctor said kneeling beside me "They've been gone a long while"

"Maybe" he whispered "but we can be rebuilt, that's why I kept Lily hidden, I knew you'd find her and when you did, she'd be ready"

"So by rebuild you mean..." I asked as my cheeks flushed

"You and the Doctor will play a vital part in the re-population of Gallifrey, and the rise of the Time Lords." He looked at the Doctor "I've been to the future Doctor, further than you will ever care to go and the Time Lords will rise once more"

"Why do you need to die for that?" I asked

"So that Lily, the Lily that's asleep in her crib at home, so that she grows up and meets the Doctor. If I lived, I'd need to abandon her, and she'd grow up hating me, her life would change drastically. It has to happen." He sighed and I gave up, he was right. I didn't think I was so important, that The Doctor and I were so important. "There will be a counsel, a counsel of Time Lords who mothered and fathered the new race. The Twelve couples of Gallifrey, among The Twelve, will be you and the Doctor. Now has to happen" he repeated.

"I understand" I said gently "We'll do our best"

"Good" he said with a sigh "Good luck Lily, the worst has yet to come, for both of you. You will face hardships unlike any you've seen before, but you will survive, and you will be OK" he said with a whimper

"Goodbye daddy" I said, my grip tightened as I felt his slip away "I love you"

"I love you too sweetheart" he said gently "daddies, little girl... be good" he said quietly. He died. His eyes remained open and I closed them gently

"Sleep tight daddy" I said as I gently placed his hand on his chest

"Sleep tight Chief" The Doctor said lowly from beside me. He took my hand and pulled me into a hug "he was a good man Lily" he said gently

"yeah, I know" I said quietly getting up "Let's go home, we'd better not move him" I led the Doctor away and back to the TARDIS. To both of our surprise I smiled all the way back

"Why are you smiling?" he asked and I just shook my head

"It must seem awful. I got over the worst of my dad's death long ago, there was just one thing that was incomplete. Now you've brought me here and I had the chance to say goodbye, now it's all gone. Everything's complete and I can move on properly" the Doctor smiled and opened the door to the TARDIS, holding it open for me as I entered. I sat by the console and began mindlessly pushing buttons, The Doctor wasn't paying attention

"Strange isn't it? You'd think with him being such a great Time Lord, his death would be something a little less..."

"Boring?" I asked cutting the Doctor off

"human" he corrected he looked at me and raised an eyebrow "what are you doing?"

"What?" I asked, unaware I was doing anything. I jumped out of my skin when I heard the TARDIS begin to whir as she took off "I did that?" I asked. Suddenly and mindlessly I pressed another button and the whirring stopped

"What did you do?!" The Doctor asked again more panicked, he darted over to the console at such a speed he almost flew over

"You left the breaks on!" I said as the Doctor began circling the TARDIS as heaps and heaps of information seemed to wash over me as I stared at the console, I'll never know why this didn't happen the first time I looked at the TARDIS all I knew was that for a moment, I was piloting the TARDIS without knowing what I was doing, and then when she started to make her infamous whirring noise, it all came back to me, and suddenly I knew what it all meant, all her sounds and stirrings, all of her flashing colours and glowing orbs, every one of her shining buttons and metallic levers each sound shape colour and movement, I understood them all, she was telling me how to fly her. There was so much information it was like learning an entire language in the space of seconds. But that wasn't all, more information flooded into me so much that I started to go dizzy, I held my head as what as first began as a slow leak of knowledge quickly became waterfalls, it knocked down the mental block I'd maintained for so long and those muffled voices became screams. They screeched through my mind like nails on a chalkboard, I could only just hear the Doctor talking

"Lily?" he asked taking out his sonic screwdriver and pointing it at me, I leaned on the console as the screams got louder and louder. I closed my eyes tightly as a migraine began to form as a result of the noise that clearly only I was hearing. I could feel myself losing balance, I began to feel violently sick and I knew I wasn't going to be able to stay up for much longer. I held onto the console and tried to lower myself to the floor so that if I was to pass out I wouldn't fall too far, I knew the Doctor was helping me, I could feel him supporting me as I was lowered to the floor but only seconds after my entire body was overcome with pins and needles and soon numbed. I quickly lost the ability to move on my own but the Doctor continued to move me as my vision began to blur, the noise didn't stop or reduce at any point. The Doctor sat on the floor and held me on his lap as my vision began to blur further, I could vaguely make out his mouth moving as he spoke but I couldn't hear what he was saying I tried to speak but I don't know if I made a sound but I tried, I didn't want him to worry

"I'm OK" I tried to say to him, I didn't know if he heard or listened nor did I have time to find out because no sooner than I said it, things faded completely. There was blackness for a few seconds but then out of nowhere there were lights, lights I later noticed to be images flashing through my mind, memories. It was like someone was playing a movie at an incredibly high speed behind my eyelids. It seemed to go on for about five or ten minutes and the whole time the sound of the TARDIS whirring echoed over the memories which were soundless. As the sound of the TARDIS got louder and louder I began to feel as if I was floating, I felt lightheaded and the pictures began to fade. Once my vision was black once more the noise came to a complete stop and my eyes snapped open.

"Well look who's awake" The Doctor said from a chair near my bed, I looked around quickly. I was in my bedroom in the TARDIS

"All of that from taking the breaks off" I said rubbing my eyes, The Doctor laughed

"It was bound to happen sometime." He said sitting back in his chair, he looked tired and more ragged than usual

"Are you alright?" I asked he nodded

"I was worried. Anybody would be. I'm just glad nothing went wrong"

"Something could've went wrong?" I asked and he cleared his throat

"Well your brain could've died from the strain, something like an elastic band being stretched until it snaps, except it's not an elastic band it's your brain. And instead of collapsing it would explode..." he said quietly and my jaw dropped

"That's comforting" I said sarcastically. I looked down into my lap and smiled

"How much do you remember?" he asked looking at me

"Enough" I said with a smile "not everything, but enough." I looked at the Doctor remembering all he'd done for me before I died, he'd taken me everywhere, we'd watched stars burn out together and new ones erupt in to life, he'd taken me as far into the galaxy as we dared go, he'd given me anything and everything I could possibly want. My handsome time travelling hero, with the universe at his fingertips. I felt him touch my hand

"Nothing's changed" he said happily "I still love you as much now as I did then" I smiled and squeezed his hand

"I was hoping you'd say that" I smiled and swung myself up out of bed and quickly into the control room "By the way, the way you've been flying Tallulah is atrocious." I said referring to the TARDIS, I remember seeing how attached the Doctor was to her before and thinking he was insane, when really, I was much, much worse. The way I treat the TARDIS made the Doctors way look tame, but then I was her original pilot when the Doctor and I ran away. I walked up to the control panel and stroked it gently

"I thought I'd escaped your weirdness..." The Doctor said watching me but I only ignored him

"Oh baby... it's OK sweetheart, I'm back to take care of you now" I said to the TARDIS. I touched her cold panel and sighed "Poor baby..."

"Y'know me and Tallulah were having a good relationship with you gone, feel a bit pushed out now" The Doctor said watching me

"Oi! Nice to know I was missed!" I said indignantly. The Doctor smiled and placed a gentle kiss on my lips, he was leaning on the TARDIS trapping me in between his arms

"You've been missed much more than you could possibly know" he said with a smile. I gave him a quick kiss and pushed him aside jokingly

"I didn't even remember you" I said sticking my tongue out at him and he chuckled

"Oh very funny" he said turning to me. I sighed and sat down "What's on your mind?" he asked

"Just thinking about what my dad said..." I said pondering to myself

"Yeah?" The Doctor said leaning on the console opposite me "What about it?"

"Well... you know how I don't remember everything?" I asked thinking carefully about how to phrase my question

"Yes?" The Doctor responded growing more and more suspicious

"And you know how we're apparently supposed to... um... _make_ more Time Lords?" I asked and he nodded slowly

"Right..." he said dragging the word out in his confusion, my cheeks began to flush and I began fidgeting

"Well... how do we... _make_ those Time Lords... is it the same as making new humans?" I asked glowing bright red trying to keep my question as discreet as possible

"What?" The Doctor asked, clearly not getting it

"Y'know... how do we... umm... provide Gallifrey with _new_ Time Lords?" I asked again, the Doctor only kept his confused expression I sighed and mumbled very quietly "how do we reproduce?" I said in almost a whisper

"What? Speak up!" The Doctor said getting frustrated, but not quite as much as me

"For God's sake Doctor how do Time Lords mate?!" I spoke very loudly, good thing we were probably floating somewhere through space. The Doctors face dropped and I could swear I saw him blush a tiny bit, when he spoke his voice was filled with a confused type of horror

"Oh."


	31. Session 31: Rebound

"Am I going to need to give you the talk?" The Doctor asked

"Well don't say it like that!" I said embarrassed "makes it feel weird..."

"Well am I?" he asked again and I sighed and nodded

"It would help." I said quietly, the Doctor cleared his throat and began

"Well the umm... conception process is the same..." he explained awkwardly, I couldn't help myself from sighing a breath of relief which, unfortunately, the Doctor noticed "Why do you sound so relieved?" he asked

"Oh come on." I said looking at him "For all I know you could have a tentacle rather than... y'know." I paused for a moment expecting him to correct me right away but he only stayed silent and raised his eyebrow at me with a smirk, I panicked a little at that "You... don't have a tentacle... do you?"

"No." He said laughing a little "I thought you said you remembered everything?" he asked

"No, I said I remember MOST things, some little things like this I forgot" I explained, the Doctor looked a little offended and for a moment I couldn't figure out why. At first.

"Little things?" he said sounded rather upset

"Well... it's not exactly... y'know...first thing on my mind. Especially if... well I've never actually... y'know... done it." I stuttered awkwardly the Doctor only looked away and a light bulb came on inside my head "Oh wait..." I said as he began to notice me catching on "We didn't?!" I asked in a surprised voice, strangely, it somewhat resembled an excited teenage girls reaction to her best friend sharing the news of her first kiss. My jaw dropped as the Doctor stayed silent "We did!" I said with an excited laugh.

"Alright alright" the Doctor said as I continued to laugh. He waited for me to calm down and I sighed.

"I'm not even sure if that was a nervous laugh or not" I said wiping away a tear that escaped during my laughter "Oh that's weird" I said with a sigh, thinking about it even more "that's really weird... why didn't you tell me?" I asked

"Oh right that's a good pick up line! 'Hi! You don't know me but I'm your long lost time travelling boyfriend, We've lived together in a blue box for hundreds of years and by the way your ability in the bedroom is certainly very impressive!'" he spoke sarcastically and I paused

"Alright I suppose you have a point... wait what?" I asked suddenly remembering what he'd said about my... umm... 'ability'

"Nothing." He said with a sigh "Do you still need 'the talk'?" I sighed and shook my head

"Y'know what never mind. I dare not go on lest I be reminded of a summer fling with King Henry VIII." I said jokingly

"You sure?" he asked and I nodded

"After twenty one years I've already forgotten where everything goes. Can't really get much worse if we just wait can it?"

"Alright" he said happily getting up and going to the TARDIS controls I walked alongside him and watched him like a hawk, silently judging everything he did, he watched me getting increasingly more uncomfortable "I've had practice y'know. I know how to fly her" I didn't respond I only quickly flicked off a switch that he'd flicked on

"Could use a little more practice sweetie" I said with a smile, he rolled his eyes

"I've had enough practice" he said glaring at me slightly, I smiled, he was getting protective over his TARDIS again, he did that even when I was the main pilot but then again, the TARDIS was the second woman in both our lives. It could get ugly quickly if we both got protective of her at the same time, as we figured out when we first started travelling, so the best thing to do was a U turn and just laugh it off.

"I know sweetie" I said standing next to him "She's been in good hands" The Doctor smirked

"Oh you expected any less?" he said jokingly and I making a joking 'tut' noise

"Of course not" I began "You only fly her around suns and burning stars and through a vortex at break neck speeds. Why would I be worried?" I said sarcastically. The Doctor stroked the panel lovingly

"Hey she's a tough old girl" I smiled and looked at him, thinking back to the conversation we were having not long ago, the question had played on my mind quite a bit, but I hadn't said anything simply because we were talking about something else

"You know what I'd like to know" I said monitoring a screen on the panel

"What's that?" he asked typing something on the other side of the panel, I leaned over the side to see him past the giant tube that ran up through the centre of the panel

"You've told me about how little Time Lords are made but... what goes on thereafter? I assume the woman still carries?" I asked

"Yeah" The Doctor answered "The woman carries the baby exactly the same as a human pregnancy the only difference is because of all the complicated timey wimey... stuff they sometimes take less time to pop than humans, and no Lily, they don't come out in eggs" he said before I could ask

"Thank you" I said disappearing behind the centre tube

"Why do you want to know all of this anyway?" he asked

"Just thought I should have some understanding of my own genetics is all" I said happily, Oh what a lie. "So where to now?" I asked watching one of the monitors

"Let me surprise you!" The Doctor said happily pulling on a lever. The TARDIS began to rattle and I pushed several buttons and she steadied

"You always do!" I said happily as the TARDIS began to whir once more

"I thought you turned the breaks off?" he asked and I smiled

"I did but I turned them back on, it's not hurting her and it feels like she's singing to us. I like it." I smiled and the Doctor did to. Whenever I saw his smile, it made me smile more, I loved it and I loved making him happy.

"We're here" he said with a smile. I watched him as he walked to the door and a thought crossed my mind a dark thought, though I couldn't place why.

"Doctor... when will you take me home... y'know... to Gallifrey. We can... well we can start to plan things... with the other twelve couples" I asked and he froze at the door, he must've known he'd never told me about Gallifrey... I mean... why wouldn't he tell me?

"Another day" he said quietly

"What did my dad mean?" I asked "When he said the Time Lords will return?" I asked, there seemed to be a heart wrenching silence in the room, I stepped forward after a long silent pause "Doctor... where did they go?" There was silence again

"Nowhere" he said forcing a smile "It's all still there, and I'll take you as soon as we get a chance! Great, beautiful orange skies and towers! Oh Lily when you see it you'll remember, you'll remember everything" he smiled but that smile quickly dropped when he finished his sentence

"What's wrong?" I asked, he only shrugged

"Nothing, come on let's get a move on" he said opening the door, we stepped out instantly into a storm

"Oh my word!" I said alarmed "Where did you bring me? Planet of torrential rain?"

"Oh relax it's just a bit of rain! Come on let's get under cover" he said leading me down the street, we passed things that looked a lot like giant green metal bin

"Are you sure we're not still on earth?" I said looking around "Looks a lot like earth"

"Hold on, hold on. Let's have a look." He said rushing over to a dead console on a wall. I watched close by as he used his sonic screwdriver on it. Static buzzed on the screen, the Doctor banged the console with his fist and an image flashed up, a female news reporter to be exact

"– and the driving should be clear and easy, with fifteen extra lanes open for the New New Jersey expressway." She said before an image of a beautiful futuristic city flashed onto the screen before us

"Oh, that's more like it! That's the New we had last time. This must be the lower levels. Down in the base of the tower, some sort of under-city." He said quietly to himself

"An under city? You've brought me to the slums?" I said with a slight giggle

"Much more interesting! It's all cocktails and glitter up there. This is the real city." He said excitedly and I smiled in adoration

"You're mad" I said happily

"So are you" he said putting his arm over my shoulder and giving me a quick one armed hug

"Yeah but that's why you love me" I said tipping my head to rest on his shoulder, I could feel the damp of his jacket on my face but I was soaked anyway so I didn't mind.

"Of course" he said leading me further down the street "Oh the rains stopping! Better and better!" he said getting happier

"When you said 'last time'" I said finally asking him what I'd been wondering since he said it "I assume that means you've been here before?"

"Yep. Not here, here though. Up there" he said nodding upwards to what I assumed was the city we'd seen in the video

"Who was that with then? Or were you alone?" I asked, I was already suspicious but I didn't want to give it away. What the Doctor didn't know was that he was letting his guard down a lot, as if he'd forgotten he was travelling with a Time Lord and not a human. I could sometimes hear what he was thinking when he did this and a lot of the time it was things I didn't want to hear especially since I'd regained my memory in the TARDIS and even more since I was shown some things by the TARDIS. I don't know why she decided to show me those things, but then I suppose I did. Bad wolf. The part of Rose that was left in the TARDIS wanted me to know she would always be there and no matter what the Doctor was to me, she would always be there. Oh and his thoughts, they tortured me sometimes, I couldn't stop them. 'Rose used to do that' 'Lily makes me smile just like Rose did sometimes' Rose this and Rose that. Most of the time I wondered why he didn't push me away after that kiss, why he cared so much if I loved him.

"Um... No... I was- I was with Rose" he said quietly. Boom! There it was. Just what I didn't want to hear, I smiled, just like I always did. I pretended I understood their closeness, pretended it was normal to be this hung up over losing 'just a friend', pretended like it didn't kill me every time I heard her name.

"I thought that might be the case" I said with a tired sigh, I tried so hard to smile but sometimes it was just too hard "So... you're taking me to the same planets you took her?" I asked letting me jealousy get the best of me

"What's wrong with that?" he asked confused. I looked at him and I felt horrible, he didn't know but I couldn't tell him. He really couldn't see anything wrong with it he just thought it would be a nice treat. I sighed

"Nothing." I said moving away from him, his arm slipped from around my shoulders and he looked surprised

"What's wrong?" he asked as I stormed forward trying to keep calm

"No its nothing don't worry" I said unconvincingly "I love being the rebound girl"


	32. Session 32: Kidnapping

I spoke bitterly and sarcastically, the Doctor seemed totally baffled which made me feel even worse but before I had time to do much else one of the giant bins burst open and a loud man popped his head out

"Oh! You should have said. How long you been there? Happy! You want Happy!" he shouted? I was a little freaked out, I stepped back from the bin in shock

"What?" I sad startled, as I backed away another bin behind me did the same thing, a woman popped her head out and spoke in a strong Jamaican accent, I jumped as her loud voice merged with the other salesman's

"Customers! Customers! We've got customers!" she bellowed, I backed up again, this time so I was back at the Doctors side so I was less surprised when a third bin, which I now understood to not be bins but market stalls, burst open. This time a plump, friendly looking lady stuck her head out

"We're in business! Mother, open up the Mellow, and the Read!" She shouted, the first salesman shouted over the top of her

"Happy, Happy, lovely happy Happy!" he shouted

"Anger! Buy some Anger!" The lady with the Jamaican accent shouted over him, this kick started a chain reaction of salespeople desperately trying to get our attention and business

"Get some Mellow, makes you feel all bendy and soft all day long!" The third salesperson said trying to tempt us

"Younger, them. They'll rip you off. Do you want some happy?" Said the first salesperson again, at this point I was beginning to get annoyed, I wasn't a fan of noise, especially annoying in your face salesperson noise.

"No thanks" the Doctor said frowning

"Are they selling some kind of futuristic drug?" I asked covering my ears as the noise began to get to me

"I think they're selling moods" The Doctor said still frowning. More people dressed in ragged dark clothes entered the alleyway starting up the salespeople shouting again

"Oh bloody hell" I said covering my ears. A small pale woman separated from the group and began drifting through the alleyway trying to select a stall

"Over here, sweetheart! That's it, come on, I'll get you first!" shouted the friendly looking lady

"Oy! Oy, you! Over here! Over here! Buy some Happy!" shouted the first salesperson who was ignored as the lady walked over to the friendly looking woman's stall. The Doctor and I quietly observed

"Come over here, yeah. And what can I get you, my love?" said the salesperson gently to the lady

"I want to buy Forget." Said the small pale woman almost in a whimper

"I've got Forget, my darling. What strength? How much you want forgetting?" she asked the small woman

"It's my mother and father. They went on the motorway." She explained, it made no sense to me but the salesperson seemed to be able to sympathise

"Oh, that's so sweet" she said as she rummaged through her stock, she turned back to the pale woman and held out a small circular token to her "Try this. Forget Forty-three. That's two pence." She said as she exchanged the small token for money. The pale woman turned away with the token still in her hand but before she could do anything with it, the Doctor stepped in and stopped her

"Sorry, but – hold on a minute. What happened to your parents?" he asked

"They drove off" she said simply

"They might drive back" he countered

"Everyone goes to the motorway in the end. I've lost them." The small woman said mournfully

"But they can't have gone far. You could find them." He said trying to coax her out of using the patch, she only sighed and looked down at the patch, quickly sticking it to her neck before the Doctor could say another word

"No, no – no, don't!" He said in a last attempt to stop her but it was too late, her face changed completely the minute she put the patch on. She looked completely spaced out.

"I'm sorry, what were you saying?" she asked in a much more cheery yet docile tone

"Your parents. Your mother and father. They're on the motorway." He said monotonously

"Are they? That's nice." She said in her new docile tone, there was a silence, the Doctor looked disturbed but not surprised "I'm sorry, I won't keep you" she said finally before wandering off again

"What happened to the human race?" I said sadly with a sorrowful sigh. Suddenly and out of nowhere, there was a rush of movement behind me, before I even had time to turn and look something or someone had grabbed me, I shrieked in shock and began to struggle, I saw someone, a woman pointing a gun at the Doctor. They quickly began running way with me

"ARE YOU KIDDING ME?! LET ME GO! GET THE HELL OFF!" I screamed kicking and thrashing relentlessly

"I'm sorry, I'm really, really sorry. We just need three, that's all." The man holding me apologised over and over, the Doctor looked angry, really angry. He was screaming at them, almost pleading

"No, let her go! I'm warning you, let her go! Whatever you want, I can help. Both of us, we can help. But first you've got to let her go!"

"I'm sorry. I'm really sorry. Sorry." Came the voice of another, this time a woman. She repeated her apologies throughout my struggle. I heard the loud slam of a metal door and any hope I had of the Doctor getting me back quickly was shattered, but I kept struggling, I couldn't stop. They dragged me down a shadowy corridor and then out into what seemed like daylight, the man had me by the arm and was dragging me, despite my digging my heels in and trying to pull away from him constantly

"Get off me! This is ridiculous! I swear if you don't let me go I will sonic the hell out of you! LET. ME. GO!" I ordered frantically but they only squeezed tighter on my arm. I managed to slip away for a split second but the man only grabbed me again, we stopped in front of a large black vehicle that looked a bit like a van.

"Give her some sleep" he said to the woman with him

"No, don't give her some sleep! The last thing you want to do is give her some sleep because if you do so much as put that sleep anywhere near her she will kick both of your backsides to kingdom come!" I argued still struggling

"It's only sleep fourteen" The woman tried to calm me but I only struggled more

"Right and I'm ONLY being kidnapped! Keep that stuff the hell away from me!" I screamed, they ignored me, the woman reached into the vehicle and pulled out a patch with the word Sleep printed on it and a smaller number 14 printed under it. I struggled as best I could, I caught a glimpse of the woman, who surprisingly looked very upset

"No, baby, don't fight it" she said gently but despite her gentle tone I kept struggling, I had to. The more I held them up, the more likely it would be for the Doctor to catch up

"I said no! God damn it!" I struggled more still but they got me, as soon as the patch hit my neck I couldn't struggle anymore. I fell tired, so, so, so tired and there was no fighting it, their voices began to fade

"That's it. Come on. That's it." Said the woman

"Get on board" came the slowly fading voice of the man. I felt myself being moved very carelessly but it couldn't wake me up, nothing could. I felt myself being dropped down hard on something "Engaging anti-gravs. Hold on." Came the male voice again. But then came the voice I'd been waiting for, that I'd been hoping for, but it came too late

"Lily!" I heard the Doctor scream as the sudden movement of the vehicle made my stomach flip. It was then that all real sounds faded and I slipped into dream

"_Doctor?" I called out desperately "Doctor where are you?" I cried but received no response, I was searching the TARDIS from top to bottom, we were adrift in outer space so it's the only place he could be, I rushed down flights of stairs into the bowels of the TARDIS, where all of the technological stuff happened, I looked around desperately "Doctor are you in here?!" I called out beginning to panic "if this is some kind of joke it's really not funny anymore" I turned a corner I could hear the sound of his sonic screwdriver ever so slightly in the distance. I followed it as best I could_

"_Doctor?" I called out again as the sonic began to grow louder, it became so loud so quickly, it was unbearable, it rang in my ears painfully. I covered them in pain "Doctor please stop this!" I called out. A spark flew from one of the pipes near me and the lights went out completely, all of the sounds stopped, at first I thought the loud sonic sounds had made me deaf but it was soon replaced by the gentle whirring of the TARDIS. A golden light flashed on above me, the words BADWOLF on a giant screen. I watched it for a while, quickly the image changed from the words to a picture of a wild lily, orange and dark brown spotted petals, I stared at it for a while, I knew that flower. It was the first flower I'd ever seen on earth and I remembered thinking it was the most beautiful thing I'd ever seen, the orange was the same as the beautiful Gallifreyan skies, and the brown the colour of the rich soil beneath it. The lily that named me, the Lily of Gallifrey, of course I'd remember it. My wonder was cut short as the image of the lily disappeared, submerging me in darkness once more, a few minutes passed and the screen flashed on again, this time it was the image of a golden wolf. It sat there, staring at me. Our eyes were locked and the golden light it emitted reflected in the mirror of my own eyes. Bad wolf, the image of Bad wolf. I was silent, all I could hear was my own shallow breathing as the creature on the screen stared into me, and I into it. It wasn't only a screen, it wasn't just pixels. I knew that from the very second its sharp golden eyes sliced into me .Out of nowhere the wolf began barking and growling and snarling, I took a step back and the wolf took a step forward. Its snarls and barks got louder and louder and it pounced, jumping right through the screen and into the room with me. I ducked and covered my eyes readying myself for the worst. Nothing happened. I heard the noise of the whirring TARDIS again and I turned to where it was coming from. I was met with a bright glowing golden light, and the image of Rose_

"_The Lily of Gallifrey" she said. Nothing else._

"_Bad wolf" I said staring at her, she smiled_

"_The Lily of Gallifrey , the vanished fiancé of the Doctor, my Doctor." _

"_Spoilers." I said cutting her off_

"_You vanished. I appeared. He found me and forgot you, Lily of Gallifrey. You were forgotten."_

"_And now you are lost" I said bitterly. "Lost forever." _

"_Never!" she shrieked "I remain in the TARDIS I will ALWAYS remain in the TARDIS! You, Lily of Gallifrey. You will never be without me, the Doctor will never be without me."_

"_Or so you say" I said looking at her with such bitterness. She glared at me for a moment before opening her mouth inhumanly wide and allowing streams of gold gas to flow out, shrieking as she did. I jumped at the sound_

And jumped awake, back into reality. I remembered now where I was, I looked at the two silhouettes in the front of the vehicle and blinked a few times.

"Yeah. The view from the windows. You can see all the way out to the flatlands." I heard the woman say as I reached for the patch on my neck and ripped it off. Feeling much better for doing so.

"The sky … They say the air smells like apple grass. Can you imagine?" she went on

"The houses are made of wood. There are jobs going in the foundries. Everyone says so!" the man with her said in a dreamy tone, their voices ringing with the sound of joy and ambition, but as far as I was concerned, they weren't getting their dream through kidnapping. I noticed they'd left their gun on the computer screen beside me, sloppy. I picked it up and in a hurry I was on my feet pointing it at them.

"Take me back. I don't care who you are, where you're going or why you took me. Just turn this metal box the hell around, right now."


	33. Session 33: The Fast Lane

"Take me back. I don't care who you are, where you're going or why you took me. Just turn this metal box the hell around, right now." I said in a low dark tone, the couple only looked at each other

"I'm sorry. That's not a real gun." The woman said, I scoffed at her

"Oh come off it! It was real enough when you were pointing it at my boyfriend!" I snapped

"Where do you get a gun from, these days? I wouldn't even know how to fire." Said the woman again, I still didn't believe her

"Funny, can't get a real gun but you managed to find a fake... strange how that works" I said not lowering the gun

"Just relax" said the woman, she looked calm but I wasn't willing to risk falling for it, after all they did kidnap me "what's your name?" she asked

"Lily" I said still suspicious but slowly lowering the gun, I kept it ready in my hand though

"Well, I'm Cheen, and this is Milo. And I swear we're sorry. We're really, really sorry. We just needed access to the fast line, but I promise, as soon as we arrive, we'll drop you off and you can go back and find your boyfriend." She spoke in such an honest tone but it didn't waver my suspicion

"How can I trust you?" I asked, and she sighed

"Honestly! I've never met someone so untrusting! Look!" she said lifting her hair back to reveal a patch on her neck, it had the word 'Honesty' printed on it and the number '36' beneath it. "Honesty patch" she confirmed

"You can be as honest as you like" I said sighing and leaning back onto the computer desk "you're still a pair of kidnappers" I looked around "where are we anyway?"

"We're on the motorway" replied the man known now as Milo

"Then what's with all of that fog then?" I asked looking out of the window as a murky fog with a kind of brown, yellow tint

"That's the exhaust fumes" Cheen, the woman, explained

"We're going out to Brooklyn. Everyone says the air's so much cleaner, and we couldn't stay in Pharmacy Town, 'cause…" Milo looked at Cheen and rubbed her knee affectionately

"Well 'cause of me" she finished "I'm pregnant. We only discovered it last week. Scan says it's going to be a boy." She said, the couple cooed amongst themselves for a moment and I rolled my eyes

"Well forgive me for not flapping like the usual woman of child bearing age but I am being kidnapped!" I said spitefully

"Oh we're not kidnappers! Not really." Cheen said dismissively

"No, you're bloody idiots. Firstly, for taking me against my will and secondly, for wearing this _thing_ while you're pregnant" I ripped the patch from her neck, crumpled it up and threw it to the floor, Cheen winced "I swear people knew this was unhealthy in my time, would've thought they'd have evolved with some common sense!" I said with a sigh

"Your time?" Cheen asked "What's that mean?"

"Nothing, not important" I said dismissively

"This'll be as fast as we can. We'll take the motorway to the Brooklyn flyover, and then after that it's gonna take awhile, 'cause then there's no fast lane, just ordinary roads, but at least it's direct." Milo explained as I leaned back against the computer

"It's only ten miles" Cheen said trying to calm my anger

"Right... ten miles... that's not too bad I suppose. How long will that take on these roads?" I asked looking at them both

"About six years" Cheen said way too casually

"You what?" I asked shocked.

"Just in time for him to start school" Cheen cooed happily at Milo, ignoring my shock

"No. No. No. No. Now, I must've heard wrong because I KNOW you didn't say six YEARS! Six minutes, and I'm laughing, six hours, would be boring but not too bad, hell maybe I could even stomach six DAYS but six years? No, hell no! I have a boyfriend in a box that needs taking care of!" I said outraged

"Have you _seen_ how many cars are out there? How slow they're moving? Of course it's going to take six years!"said Milo, looking at me like I was some sort of idiot

"How many cars _are _out there?" I asked

"Don't think anyone knows" said Cheen with a sigh

"Well there's definitely a lot if it takes six years to travel ten miles. I could walk that in a few hours!" I said staring out of the window

"Oh you don't want to do that" said Milo looking out of the front window "You'd choke to death in minutes" he explained. I gulped, suddenly feeling very claustrophobic.

"Right" I said slightly breathless with a gulp "no walking for me then"

"You alright sweet?" Cheen asked concerned "You hungry?" she asked handing me a weird biscuit type thing. She was actually a very gentle and kind woman, made me wonder how someone so gentle could be pushed into kidnapping, how desperate were these people?

"Thank you" I said grateful. I sat down on the bed trying to force myself to breath normally again. I couldn't get out of this car soon enough. "How far to the fast lane?" I asked

"Oh, it's right at the bottom, underneath the traffic jam. But not many people can afford three passengers, so it's empty down there. Rumour has it you can reach up to thirty miles per hour." Milo explained

"Wow" I said sarcastically "I'll have to prepare myself" I rolled my eyes slightly and the pair laughed "Really though, how can you stomach living in here for six years?" I asked

"Where do you live?" Cheen asked "Somewhere big? Didn't think they still made big houses" she said suddenly interested

"I travel with my boyfriend, same as you." I said to her, I was surprised at how quickly I began to miss the Doctor, I was terrified that I really would be in here for six years, but I knew he wouldn't stop trying to find me, and I wouldn't stop trying to get out. "We live in, well... a police call box, but its bigger on the inside." I explained, however the 'bigger on the inside' thing, to my surprise, wasn't what intrigued them.

"What's that then?" Milo asked. I raised an eyebrow

"Like... a phone box... haven't you seen one before?" I asked and they shook their head. "Oh. Never mind then. But anyway speaking of boxes at least mine has leg room, seriously how do you do it?" I asked dreading the answer

"Oh, we stocked up. Got self-replicating fuel, muscle stimulants for exercise, and there's a chemical toilet at the back. And all waste products are recycled as food." Cheen explained, I stopped munching on the biscuit thing and put it down on a nearby tray thing

"Lovely..." I said feeling slightly ill

"Oh, another gap, this is brilliant!" Milo said smiling out of the window

"Car sign in" came an electric voice

"Car Four Six Five Diamond Six, on descent to fast lane, thank you very much." Milo spoke into the transmitter with a huge grin on his face

"Please drive safely" the voice replied. I felt my stomach lift and flip as the car lowered, I looked at the screen in front of Milo, there was a line representing our car, lowering from level 39 to 43.

"See? Another ten layers to go. We're scorching." Milo said to me, I smiled slightly. I'd never felt to claustrophobic in my life, wouldn't be so bad if I could at least roll down a window or something. I kept trying to think of something to do but nothing crossed my mind, I couldn't help think that the Doctor would know what to do. My clever, clever Doctor, he'd have fixed everything by now; but me, all I could do was pray their journey would be shorter than anticipated. But even then, even then I'd be stranded in God knows where, waiting for God knows how long to see him again, even if I tried to go back, there's no way I'd know where to find him or how long it would take. My heart began to break but I just kept telling myself, "the Doctor will come, the Doctor always knows how to find me". Just then, a low noise rumbled through the car, I couldn't place what it was, it sounded somewhat like floorboards creaking, but something in the back of my mind, some dreadful place in the back of my mind, something was telling me that it wasn't just a creek, but a growl.

"What's that?" I asked looking around slightly unnerved, then it came again and I panicked, dropping to the floor and pressing my ear to the cold metal floor, I must've looked a sight. "It's coming from below" I said listening carefully

"It does have noise, doesn't it? It's like Kate said. The stories are true." Cheen said to Milo, I looked up quickly

"What stories?" I asked intrigued

"It's the sound of the air vents. That's all. The exhaust fumes travel down, so at the base of the tunnel they've got air vents." Milo explained

"No, the stories are much better" Cheen protested and I smirked

"Good, because his explanation was just so dull" I said with a cheeky grin "Do tell!" I said to Cheen who smiled, Milo chuckled and looked away

"They say people go missing on the motorway. Some cars just vanish, never to be seen again. 'Cause there's something living down there, in the smoke. Something huge. And hungry. And if you get lost on the road … it's waiting for you." She told dramatically, the rumbling noises kept on going, getting louder and louder, Cheen began to look nervous, and I began to feel it.

"But like I said, air vents" Milo said trying to stay calm, he pressed a button on the console "Going down to the next layer"

"Well... I would've thought when they built this place they would've paid for better air vents" I said looking out of the window "I mean, those ones can't be working at all... just look out there" I said looking at Milo, hoping he'd pick up on my points

"She's right" Cheen said looking at Milo, clearly hoping for the same thing. The rumbling grew louder, unmistakeable growling noises now, how I wished I was wrong about that. Growling and crashing, clear as day, and we were driving right into the source,

"So it's not the vents" I said in a whisper "can't be anything good". Milo only shook his head

"Nah. Kid stuff" he said dismissively as he began to speak into the transmitter again "Car Four Six Five Diamond Six, on descent." I watched him drive us down to what could be the end of our lives. The screen in the front of the car changed, and a news reader flashed up into sight

"This is Sally Calypso, and it's that time again. The sun is blazing high in the sky over the New Atlantic, the perfect setting for the daily contemplation. This is for all of you out there on the roads. We're so sorry. Drive safe." She read and some music began to play, to my surprise Milo and Cheen began to sing

"_On a hill, far away_  
_Stood an old, rugged cross_  
_The emblem of suffering and shame_  
_And I love that old cross_  
_Where the dearest and best_  
_For a world of lost sinners was slain_  
_So I'll cherish the old, rugged cross, rugged cross_  
_Till my trophies at last I lay down, I lay down_  
_I will cling to the old, rugged cross, rugged cross_  
_And exchange it someday for a crown."_

"Fast lane access, please drive safely" came the electronic voice after the song

"We made it. The fast lane" Milo spoke with a victorious disbelief. I sighed. The fast lane could never be fast enough and this box could ever be my TARDIS and these people, kind as they were, could never ever replace my Doctor.


	34. Session 34: Stories of the Doctor

We began to drive in the fast lane, a few minutes passed and we came to the Brooklyn junction, the car stopped and Milo began tapping the screen to select an exit, he tapped exit one

"Brooklyn turn-off one closed." Came the electronic voice

"Try again" Cheen pressed, he did

"Brooklyn turn-off one closed" the voice repeated

"Try the next one" Cheen suggested, Milo tapped the screen on the words 'EXIT 2'

"Brooklyn turn-off two, closed" the electronic voice said, Cheen looked devastated

"What do we do?" she asked

"We'll keep going round. We'll do the whole loop. By the time we come back round, they'll be open." Milo said as he prepared to drive off, just as we did the rumbling came again and we all shared nervous looks

"So Milo, how about them vents?" I asked sarcastically

"What else could it be Lily?!" he snapped, losing his temper a little, the noise came again and Cheen began to panic

"What the hell is that?!" she shouted getting very frightened

"It's just – the hydraulics." Milo said unsure of himself

"Hydraulics now is it Milo? They sound like some very lively hydraulics" I said getting quite irritated by his ignorance

"It's all exhaust fumes out there. Nothing could breathe in that." He protested, suddenly the radio buzzed with activity

"Calling Car Four Six Five Diamond Six. Repeat, calling Car Four Six Five Diamond Six." Came a voice through the radio, Milo picked up the transmitter

"This is Car Four Six Five Diamond Six. Who's that? Where are you?" Milo spoke into the transmitter, the voice that responded seemed desperate

"I'm in the fast lane, about fifty yards behind. Can you get back up? Can you get _off_ the fast lane?" The voice asked in a panic

"We only have permission to go down" Milo responded "We- we need the Brooklyn flyover"

"It's closed. Go back up" replied the voice bluntly

"I think we should listen" I cut in

"We can't!" Milo snapped "We'll just go around"

"Don't you understand? They're closed. They're always closed." The person on the other end barked at Milo. Cheen covered her mouth with her hands as she gasped, she was extremely distressed and letting out frightened gasps. I put my hand on her shoulder

"You calm down sweetheart" I said to her gently "It'll be OK" she nodded and held onto my hand as I listened intent

"We're stuck down here. And there's something else. Out there, in the fog. Can't you hear it?" came the voice again along with a shrill roar

"That's the air vents!" Milo protested and I shook my head

"Are you kidding me?!" I asked taken-aback by his stupidity

"Jehovah! What are you, some stupid kid? Get out of here!" screamed the voice on the other end of the line

"What was that?!" Milo shouted down the phone as a sudden string of crashing and banging noises could be heard iver the transmitter, as well as the distressed screams of what sounded like women.

"I can't move! They've got us!" came the voice again

"But what is it?!" Asked Milo getting more and more distressed, I snatched the transmitter from him

"Please tell me, What's got you? Can you see what it is? Is there anything we can do?" I spoke into the transmitter

"Just drive, you idiots! Get out of here! Get out!" screamed the voice as the line cut out, Milo tried to get in contact again but failed

"Do as she says!" I ordered "Drive!"

"Where?" he asked still in a panic

"Anywhere, straight ahead, left, right, loop-de-loop, I don't care just get moving, fast!" I commanded him and he nodded and began driving straight ahead again, Cheen was sobbing

"What is it? What's out there? What is it?" she cried. I shushed her

"Don't you worry, The Doctors gunna come and help us out, and when he does he'll explain, he's very clever y'know" I said gently as Milo began to speed off, the car almost instantly began jolting around and Cheen looked at me desperately

"The Doctor... who is he?" She asked terrified "How is he going to help us?" she asked and I smiled

"The Doctor can do anything" I said, feeling calm just by thinking of him "He'll get us out of here, not just here but out of this entire motorway system, and take us up there" I nodded upwards "To the surface, then you can have your little boy in a nice clean hospital, with proper equipment and clean tools and a bed, and not in this little box, and he'll grow up in a house, a nice big house next to a field where he can go outside and play" I said with a smile as Cheen listened intently, my story seemed to calm her some.

"I'm at top speed" Milo chimed in as the car began to jolt more violently, there was a warning on the screen that read 'PROXIMITY WARNING', this snapped us out of our little fantasy world and Cheen began to panic again

"No access above" came an electronic voice

"But this is an emergency!" Milo spoke desperately into the transmitter

"Thank you for your call, you have been placed on hold" the voice said and I realised we were getting no help from them, i got up and began to pace (as much as I could)

"Whatever is out there can see us, of course it can see us, it's hitting us but oh... what if it can't see us, no, no of course it can't see us silly, silly little Lily, it can't see us because it can hear us, or can it smell us? Is anyone in here smelly?" I asked looking around at them, no response. "No, it's not smell, of course it's not smell, shush! So then back to my first idea if it's not smell then it must be..." I looked at the ring on my finger and grinned "Oh Doctor, you're contagious!" I slipped in between Cheen and Milo and pointed it at the control panel, my ring made its own sonic noise for a while before the car went dark and everything was silent.

"They've stopped" Cheen whispered

"Yes but you've turned everything off!" Milo protested in an outraged whisper

"Worked didn't it?" I said before sitting down in the back of the car

"yeah but only for about eight minutes, without the aircon we'll suffocate" he said still angry, Cheen was crying softly and I only smiled

"Don't you worry." I grinned in the dark "That's all the time he needs"

"Your boyfriend... The Doctor... what's he like?" Milo asked "I heard you talking earlier but... you didn't mention him for long, can he really get us out of here?" Milo asked and I smiled

"Of course he can, he's the most remarkable man I've ever met, he's just incredible... I'd bet every single thing I ever held dear on that when we get out of here, it will be because of the Doctor, my Doctor" I said with an adoring smile

"How did you meet him?" Cheen asked

"Oh... we grew up together. A very, very long time ago. I'm a lot older than I look, there was this war... and... he saved my life... sent me away in a space ship, told me he'd come find me. I don't remember much about the war or what happened; all I know is that, when the Doctor loses me, he finds me, he always knows how to find me."

"How do you know he'll do it this time?" Milo asked

"I died once" I began "Many, many years ago, he still found me; even when I couldn't remember who he was, even when I became a completely different person, even though I could've been anywhere in the universe, he found me, even if it was purely by chance."

"You died?" Cheen asked surprised, I smiled

"Oh yeah, I'm fine now though. Death really isn't all it's cracked up to be, still, I intend to avoid it." They both lowered their heads and I raised my eyebrow "That includes today too! How much air left?" I asked

"Two minutes" Milo replied "Do you think we can make it?" he asked me and I stood up joining them both at the front of the car again

"Do you?" I asked readying my ring, ready for whatever they decided

"Your only hope, _our_ only hope, is a total stranger..." Milo said deep in thought

"Yep... well... a stranger to you, to me, he's everything... there's no one I'd trust more than him" I said, Milo raised his eyebrow

"You trust him _that_ much?" he asked

"Well I'm non-religious." I said casually "I need to put my faith in something" I winked

"Alright then, start it up" Milo said nodding to my ring, I held it at the panel for a while

"Good luck" I said over the sonic noise

"You too Lily" he replied.

"Systems back online" came an electronic voice

"Right then" Milo said speeding off "Let's hope this works" the car was viciously bumped around by the giant things outside, claws, I saw one outside through the window, the car shook and spun and jolted and bumped, it would've almost been fun were it not deadly. I could hear scrapings on the outside of the car, suddenly we stopped, we'd been caught. Sparks flew into the cabin and Cheen screamed, Milo was frantically trying to pilot us out but out of nowhere we were bumped by something else and released. Suddenly the screen in the front of the car flashed on, this time, with the Doctors face

"Sorry, no Sally Calypso, she was just a hologram. My name's the Doctor." I smiled and watched intently, it was difficult because we were still being shaken around like crazy

"The Doctor! My wonderful Doctor!" I said excitedly

"And this is an order. Everyone drive up. Right now.!" He commanded

"is he serious?" Milo asked whilst avoiding the ever grabbing claws

"Of course he's serious!" I said thrilled

"I've opened the roof of the motorway. Come on. Throttle those engines. Drive up. All of you, the whole under-city. Drive up, drive up, drive up! Fast! We've got to clear that fast lane. Drive up and get out of the way." I smiled

"He's clearing the way... Milo whatever you do, keep dodging. And to hell with your six years! We're getting out NOW!"

"Oy! Car Four Six Five Diamond Six! Lily! Drive up!" he said happily

"I think that's our queue! Up, up and away!" I shouted excitedly as the car swung free of the claws outside and began ascending upwards, it wasn't long before light flooded into the cabin

"It's daylight! Oh my God. That's the sky, the real sky!" Cheen cried out happily

"What did I tell you? I told you he could do it!" I said victoriously "Oh Doctor you clever, clever man!" Milo and Cheen shared a kiss as I punched the air discreetly

"You keep driving, Brannigan, all the way up! 'Cause it's here, just waiting for you. And don't forget — I want that coat back. And Car Four Six Five Diamond Six, I've sent you a flight path. Come to the Senate." The Doctor spoke, addressing first someone known as Brannigan and then me, I spoke into the transmitter

"On my way sweetie. I have someone I'd like you to meet" I said smiling at Milo and Cheen

"Ditto" he said with a smile.

"I thought for a while I'd never see you again" I said as tears gathered in my eyes

"Now Lily, would I let that happen?" he said with a smile, I put the transmitter down and smiled at the couple

"Will you come with me? Both of you, before you jet off to your new life?" I asked them and they smiled

"Of course" Cheen said happily "we have all the time in the world now, and I'd like a chance to meet him properly, without a gun". I smiled as Milo followed what was essentially a fancy future GPS. They parked up outside

"You go on in" Cheen said "I want to have a look around first" I smiled and nodded, I couldn't see him again soon enough, I ran as fast as I could into the senate and started looking around

"Doctor?" I called

"Over here!" I heard him call, I ran over but stopped when I saw him kneeling by something

"Doctor" I said happily, I couldn't contain myself, just seeing him made me so happy I ran over and almost skidded so I was kneeling beside him, I gave him a long tight hug and smiled "Oh you've got some explaining to do!" I said happily

"I know, but first, this is The Face of Boe and Hame, don't worry, they're nice" he said gently nodding towards both the giant, old looking face and a cat woman... a literal cat woman.

"I know" I said smiling at them "I can tell"

"He's the one that saved you, not me" he said looking at the face

"My lord gave his life to save the city, and now he's dying" said Hame

"Don't say that, not old Boe, plently of life left" The Doctor objected

"It feels good to breathe the air once more" The Face of Boe said peacefully

"Who is he?" I asked quietly, not wanting to seem rude

"I don't even know. Legend says the Face of Boe has lived for billions of years. Isn't that right? And you're not about to give up now." He said to The Face of Boe, trying to keep him alive

"Everything has its time. You know that, old friend, better than most." Boe said, sounding so peaceful, it rubbed off on everyone, not including the Doctor

"The legend says more" said Hame

"Don't, there's no need for that" the Doctor said cutting her off

"It says that the Face of Boe will speak his final secret to a traveller." She revealed, I looked at the Doctor, wondering what he'd do

"Yeah, but not yet. Who needs secrets, eh?" He replied, in a tone suggesting he wanted her to be quiet

"I have seen so much. Perhaps too much. I am the last of my kind — as you were the last of yours, Doctor." Boe said to him, the Doctor was taking this really, really badly

"That's why you have to survive! I did, and then I found Lily! Don't go." he said desperately

"I must" he said bravely "But first, Time Lord, you must know. Gallifrey will rise with its people, as it died with them, and it will be more glorious than ever before" he sighed, and his old eyes closed forever, after so many years and so many sights, The Face of Boe was no more. I looked on respectfully as Hame began to cry, I stood up and the Doctor followed my lead, I bowed my head to Boe one last time before going to the Doctor for a gentle embrace, he was hurting.

"Take care of this place" he said to novice Hame as he lead me out I waited for us to be outside of the door and gave him a gentle kiss on the cheek

"Your friend was magnificent, truly, truly brave and kind" I said trying to console him

"Yeah" he said with a sigh I looked at him in the eyes while I stoked his cheek gently

"He may be gone, Doctor, but nobody will ever forget him. Isn't that a good thing I asked?" and the Doctor smiled

"Old Boe didn't care much for fame, but who wouldn't see it as a bonus" he said gently, I smiled taking his hand

"Come on. Come meet my kidnappers."


	35. Session 35: A Whole New World

I lead the Doctor outside the sentinel where Cheen and Milo were stood chatting outside of their car, they smiled at us as we approached, Milo stepped forward first

"Mr. Doctor… It's a honor, thank you so much for helping us!" he said shaking the Doctors hand very enthusiastically

"Mr. Doctor, that's a new one" the Doctor said to me with a grin "Nice to meet you, I'm the Doctor" he said politely

"Yeah, I know, you were on our monitors not long ago" he chuckled slightly before remembering his manners "I'm Milo, and this is Cheen, my wife" he said motioning behind him to Cheen

"Ah yes" the Doctor said with a smile "You look different when you're not pointing a gun at me". Cheen flushed a little

"Um… sorry about that." She said fidgeting "W-We needed three" she stuttered, clearly feeling quite guilty

"Yes I got that bit" the Doctor said with a rather stony look, I could understand why he might want to give them a little bit of a hard time. I'd had my chance to do so, and then my chance to slowly forgive them. He'd been through hell, found a way out of the motor way, watched his friend die and saved the whole city, he didn't have the chance to, well, get to know them like I did. "Still" he continued "no harm done… really…" he said thoughtfully "Just don't kidnap anyone anymore" Cheen and Milo chuckled, what else could they do?

"Alright" Milo said putting his arm around Cheen "We have bigger things on our mind now anyway" he said looking lovingly at Cheen

"Of course you do" The Doctor said with a smile "There's a whole world out there for you now, you can have a house, a garden! You can get jobs!" he said excitedly. I smiled up at him

"That's not what they're excited about Doctor" I said looking back at them, Cheen beamed and placed her hand over her stomach gently

"I'm expecting" she said happily and the Doctors face lit up with realization

"Oh." He said before erupting into a almost incomprehensible joyful babble "Oh! Oh! Congratulations! Not a minute too soon then! Oh you're going to have a wonderful time up on the surface! AND with a baby, you'll need to get used to the noise, oh and the running! The running you'll do when it grows up! It'll be fun though, well done, both of you!" The couple chuckled again

"Thanks" Cheen said with a grin "to be honest, taking Lily was the best thing we'd ever done, we'd have died down there without her. I doubt anyone else would've been quite as helpful" she said smiling at me "We owe you our life Doctor, but we owe Lily just as much" I smiled, flattered, but feeling less than deserving of her praise

"I only helped, someone far greater than myself and even the Doctor is the one that saved us" I looked up at the Doctor who smiled "he may not have survived it, but his last breath created this world, and I don't want him to be forgotten." I said looking back at the couple "That's why, when the Doctor tells you the story about this person you need to promise me you'll pass it on, keep his memory alive" I said as they both nodded, humbled that someone would give their life for them, strangers. I stepped away from the Doctor and stood next to Cheen and Milo "and I'll promise to do the same. Doctor, I'd like to hear the story too" I said, he smiled and nodded. He began to tell us all about the face of Boe, wonderful stories about how old he was and how nobody knew who he really was, from what I could tell, he was the only person more mysterious than the Doctor.

"How are we supposed to tell stories about a person who never told anyone who he was?" Milo asked

"Do you need to know who he is?" I asked "When people speak of you they speak more of your actions than your name" I said and Cheen nodded as if she understood, as did Milo. I looked back at the Doctor finally mentioning something I hadn't yet "Where's your coat?" I asked, he looked down at his torso, forgetting he wasn't wearing it

"Oh, I gave it to a friend to keep for me, he's on his way to drop it off now I think" he said suddenly diverting his attention to the roads

"You hope" I corrected him, he smiled and leaned forward to pinch my cheek

"Oh ye of little faith!" he said happily as a car came slowly down the road "Look! I think this is him now" he said running up to the car and looking into the window, he smiled and waved as the car pulled up next to him. The door opened and out stepped another cat-person, he smiled and gave the Doctor a tight hug and congratulations, a woman stepped out after him, carrying a small bundle in her arms. The Doctor lead the pair over with a smile

"Lily this is Brannigan and his lovely wife Valerie. Brannigan, Valerie, the woman for whom I risk my life each and every day" he said smiling at me

"Oh come off it, the amount of times I've saved your skinny behind" I said giving him a cheeky smile and a kiss on the cheek as I approached the couple "it's good to meet you both, thank you for looking after him while I was gone"

"It's good to meet you too" said the cat person now known to me as Brannigan, for an alien cat-man, he had a very strong Irish accent "So you're the Lily he was going on about it" he turned to the Doctor whilst shaking my hand "I must say sir you've done well for yourself with this one" he said jokingly, I smiled and chuckled slighty as Valerie approached me

"You've got yourself a fine man there Lily, a hero, none the less" she said taking me to one side

"Don't I know it" I said looking over my shoulder, smiling, as Brannigan handed his coat to him from the back of the car. "He's certainly something" I said looking back to her, I heard a mewling noise coming from the bundle in her arms and I looked down, gasping at what I saw

"Oh and who's this?" I cooed looking at the kitten which stirred happily in its mothers arms "Oh how sweet" I chimed tickling under its soft, tiny chin

"One of a rather large family" Valerie smiled down at the youngling in her arms "Who, thanks to the Doctor, will be able to grow up knowing clean air and the sky and the ground beneath them"

"It's amazing what he's done today" I said looking over my shoulder at Cheen and Milo, who'd joined the Doctor and Brannigan in conversation "Cheen, the lady I was with, she's pregnant, thanks to the Doctor she can have her baby in a nice clean hospital, he helps so many people and is so modest" I looked back at Valerie who had tears in her eyes and a joyful soft smile on her lips

"For so long, we've known nothing but the motorway, and now... now I don't know what to do... it's strange, I know it's better but... I'm not sure how I'm going to make the change... or where I'll end up next" she looked worried, she gazed down at her kitten and sighed "What if I do something wrong? What if we wind up just as poor and miserable as we were on the motorway?" she asked, I only smiled

"You have your faith don't you?" I began "You'll be fine, I mean look at this! Sky, ground, wind! What could go wrong?" I asked with a smile

"What if something does?" she asked

"Make a wish" a said as the conversation silenced, leaving little but the purring kitten to be heard. Brannigan came over and put his arms around his wife's shoulders

"We'd best be off then love" he said to her with a smile "T'was wonderful to meet you Lily, thank you, thank you and the Doctor for everything. We shan't soon forget you"

"It was wonderful to meet you both" I looked at Valerie in the eye "this is your world now, take care of it and live long and well" I turned to head back to the Doctor and the couple

"Wait" Valerie called, I turned back and she began rummaging in her pocket before pulling something out which was hidden by her closed fist, she held her hand out to me and dropped the item into my hand it was a bracelet a tiny silver heart charm hung close to the clasp on the thin silver chain, I looked at it carefully and then back to Valerie

"What's this?" I asked her holding it very carefully

"It was a gift from my parents, they gave it to me when I was about your age" she said and I smiled "It's not much, and you probably wouldn't get much for it if you sold it, but, you and the Doctor gave us a brand new life, I couldn't let you disappear without giving you something in return, as tiny as it may be" I smiled and held my hand out to return it to her

"I can't take this Valerie, it's beautiful and..." I paused picturing it on my wrist and smiled slightly "well let's be honest would look fantastic on me but it's just too important for me to take from you" she leaned forward and held onto the hand that I held the bracelet in, closing it around the bracelet

"You've given me something much more important" she smiled at the Doctor as he walked over "I only wish I could give the Doctor something too, but I don't have much" the Doctor looked at me but I didn't look at him, my eyes were locked with Valerie's as she began to well up again. She handed her kitten to Brannigan who took it happily, Valerie took the bracelet from me and fastened it around my wrist "You're right" she said with a smile "it does look good on you. I'm sorry, it might seem odd, you just having met me but..." she looked at the Doctor "I can tell just by the look on his face, he loves the bones of you. Had he not been looking for you none of this would have happened. So I suppose you're both to thank" she stepped back and the Doctor spoke up

"Well then I suppose I best thank you, y'know, for saving my life" The Doctor said to the couple

"What?" I asked looking at him

"I went onto the motorway without anything to breathe through, I didn't know it was dangerous, Brannigan stopped and took me into the car, saved my life. That's how we met" the Doctor explained

"Really?" I asked the couple, they nodded

"Well I wouldn't call it saving his life, it was more just like... preventing him from choking on the fumes" Brannigan said

"Well that changes things" I said gently unhooking the bracelet "Take this, as a token of my thanks. This amazing lady gave me it not long ago, it's the prettiest bracelet I've seen and I just get the feeling she'd want you to have it" I said handing it to her with a wink, she smiled and took it back, mouthing the words thank you

"Well then, we'd really best be off then" Brannigan said "Before all the good land is gone, Goodbye Doctor, goodbye Lily" he said politely

"Bye Brannigan, it was nice to meet you" I said to him

"Take care of yourself" The Doctor said as he turned to the car leaving Valerie to say her goodbyes

"Don't worry" I said to her one last time "This world is yours now, and its only what you make of it"


	36. Session 36: The Mother

With one final smile the couple turned and stepped back into their van the Doctor and I headed back to Cheen and Milo

"We'd best be off too" Cheen said looking at Milo "We need to get settled in, do some planning" she said, she hadn't stopped grinning.

"Good idea" I said with a smile "Don't forget, you want a house with a nursery" I said as they stepped into the car, they smiled and waved as they shut the door, I stood beside the Doctor and waved as they drove off. I sighed and the Doctor looked down at me

"What's up?" he asked, I looked up at him quickly and then turned my head back to the car, which was slowly disappearing into the distance

"If ever I was to picture myself in a situation like this... I'd have never thought I'd be the damsel in distress." I said feeling a little disappointed in myself "Still... I also never would have thought my kidnappers would be a nice young couple doing the wrong things for the right reasons"

"If there's one thing I've learned after all this time" The Doctor began as the car finally faded out of sight "Is that no matter how... in control someone might seem... no matter how clever and aware... you can never truly control how things happen. You can change things sometimes... but other times... other times things sneak up on you"

"Like the Time war?" I said looking up at the Doctor whose face dropped instantly "Why did you lie?" I asked him as we began to walk back to the TARDIS.

"Because I liked it, I could pretend for a bit that we had a home to go to, family and friends back there and that they weren't all gone" he looked down at me seeing my face hadn't changed "You're not surprised?" he asked

"I remembered in the car, when I was singing your praises. I remembered what happened... how you saved my life, how we escaped" I paused "how angry I was at you"

"You weren't even supposed to be there" he snapped "You were a doctor! You belonged in the hospital, looking after civilians!"

"There were no civilians left!" I snapped back my eyes beginning to well up "they were all with you... on the front line. That's where I needed to be" We followed an old stairwell down into pharmacy town, where the TARDIS was parked

"You couldn't have saved them all" the Doctor said to me "why is it so hard for you to see that? I was saving YOU, someone needed to stop you!" I stopped dead in the middle of the pharmacy town alleyway where we'd arrived

"Stop me helping people?!" I snapped at him outraged "stop me saving lives?!"

"You weren't saving anyone! For everyone you saved the Daleks killed two more!" he argued back

"So what? I was supposed to just leave them? LET them die?" I shouted "I needed to try! What kind of doctor would I be if I didn't?"

"A dead one!" The Doctor shouted louder than I'd ever heard him shout before. For a while I had nothing to say, I suppose I couldn't blame him for what he did but even so, I could never forgive him for it, even if he did save my life

"How many times have you stuck your neck out for others? For people you don't even know. How many times have you offered yourself up to death so that the innocent wouldn't have to?" I asked

"I learned that from you" He said quietly. "I became the Doctor, because of you. You thought I just chose the name because it sounded good? No." He explained as I stared at him, completely taken aback. "I chose that name because I didn't want to be a soldier, I didn't want to be known for killing. I wanted to be remembered like you, a healer. Someone who doesn't kill anyone, who tries to help everyone even if it means they don't make it out alive" he looked at me sadly "That feeling only got stronger when you died. I felt like I owed it to you, to keep saving the lives I knew you would want me to" He paused expecting me to say something but I couldn't, I didn't know what to say. I didn't know if I should still be angry or flattered. I didn't even know if what he was saying was relevant. "That day on Gallifrey. The last day on Gallifrey, I swept you up off your feet in the middle of battle. I knew it was wrong, and I knew you'd hate me but what choice did I have? I carried you to the TARDIS, running as fast as I could-"

"I know what happened." I cut him off as a tear slid down my cheek "You carried me to the TARDIS and locked me inside and I cried, I cried so much, more than I ever have."

"Do you remember why?" he asked and I nodded as my crying grew stronger

"Because we were the only ones left" I covered my mouth with my hand which was cold and shaking "everyone was dead... and you just flew away. I stared out into space and watched our home get swallowed up by the war until there was nothing left but us... abandoners." I looked at him as I began to shake even more "Do you know who I was tending when you took me? Who my patient was?" I asked and he shook his head "It was my mother. My real mother. She was telling me how she'd told my dad to run and how I needed to do the same, and I said no. I promised I wouldn't leave her."

"I'm so sorry" the Doctor said, I couldn't believe it. I looked up at him and his eyes were red and puffy, tears streaked down his face and I sighed

"I looked at her as you carried me off, she looked so happy, she smiled and said thank you. I stared at her, right in the eyes and I knew it was what she wanted... it made me feel a tiny bit better I guess, but I hated leaving her..." I sighed and walked over to the TARDIS stopping at the door and touching it gently "That moment defined me. It was the most horrific moment... and I still can't accept what I saw... maybe that's why it was so easy to forget..." I sighed and stepped inside of the TARDIS, the Doctor followed closely

"Lily" he said gently as I sat in a seat near the control panel "I... I'm so sorry... I can't even begin to tell you how sorry I really am"

"You don't need to be sorry" I said with a sigh "You're right... I can't blame you. I'd do the same for you. I needed someone to stop me... besides... it was what my mum wanted... even in the end" I sighed and turned to him, falling into his arms. I didn't cry, I didn't want to. "I only remember so much" I said closing my eyes and breathing in his soft scent "but one day I will remember everything. I just need to know Doctor... how painful will it be?"

"I'm sorry" he said gently "It's going to be the hardest thing you'll ever have to do... but only sometimes." I closed my eyes as my stomach turned, I began to dread the day I'd remember everything. I tried to shake it off

"But... there will be some good memories too?" I asked "it won't all be horrible?"

"Of course there will" he tilted my chin up and looked into my eyes, smiling brightly "Oh Lily the things we've done... the people we've saved, the people YOU'VE saved. Yeah some bits will be hard, but you have so much too look forward to, so many brilliant things to remember and I just can't wait to watch your face light up when you do." He squeezed me a little bit and let me go "but the best part is, in the meantime we can do and be so much more!" I smiled and watched him hurry over to the control panel

"You seem so happy" I said as I watched him

"Of course I am!" he shouted as he disappeared behind the giant tube that ran through the centre of the panel "I don't think you understand exactly what we've just done! What we've already done!"

"I do." I said chasing him around the panel, laughing as he ran from me "We save the world." I said smirking at him from the opposite side of the panel as him

"We save all kinds of worlds!" he said grinning as I began chasing him again. He branched off from the panel and ran through a corridor into the foyer.

"The two super heroes and their little blue box!" I shouted happily as I chased him through the winding corridors of the TARDIS I chased him around a corner and lost him. I stopped in my tracks and looked around "Doctor?" I called out, the next thing I knew I was grabbed from behind and dragged into a room. The door closed and I was spun around to be brought face to face with the Doctor. I thumped him on the shoulder

"You frightened the life out of me!" I said indignantly, the Doctor only laughed

"Maybe if you weren't such a whimp!" he joked and I shoved him playfully

"You're such a wind up merchant!" I said chuckling

"And you're so easy to wind up!" he responded I shook my head and gave him a gentle kiss on the lips. I leaned forward slightly which the Doctor wasn't prepared for and we stumbled backwards but instead of coming in contact with a hard floor, we splashed into a cold liquid.

"The pool room?!" I cried as I flailed about in the water helplessly "I can't swim and you dragged me into the pool room?!" the Doctor grabbed me and held me in his arms above the water

"It was the first door I could get to" he said as he helped me up onto the edge of the pool and lifted me out, I pulled my legs out of the pool and onto the tiles looking around properly at the room, it was 90% blue tile.

"How did I not notice this was the pool room?" I asked lying on my back feeling my cold wet clothes sticking to me, it was uncomfortable, but I was pretty tired from the chasing. The Doctor lifted himself out of the pool and flopped down onto the tiles next to me

"I don't know but" he began crawling on his stomach over to me, he flopped down on top of me, grinning mischievously "these wet clothes are really weighing me down" I laughed as I felt him flop his entire weight onto me

"Get off, you giant numpty!" I joked and he only wriggled around making himself even more comfortable

"Nah" he said smugly "I don't think I will!"

"Fine!" I responded "but if I freeze to death it's your fault!" The Doctor propped himself up on his elbows and looked down at me, his long messy hair dripping water onto my forehead.

"What are you thinking?" he asked and I shrugged

"You tell me" I responded

"If you're thinking the same as I am I'm wondering why your dad ran, how he got away and why he'd want to leave his wife." He said curiously, I sighed

"Who knows." I said "I thought you knew what happened?" I asked

"Not that part. It's just strange, I mean, he left behind his daughter and his wife... and to be honest I thought stealing a TARDIS was my fantastic idea" he got up off me and sat beside me

"Well apparently not... though I see what you mean, it is strange. Though I also can't help feeling we're being a little... disrespectful." I pondered for a while; the Doctor had a very valid point, as out of character as it was for my dad, he did run and he did leave my mum and I. "Still" I continued "It's a bit too late for this conversation... I doubt we'll ever know why he did it now"

"That's not entirely true... he must've came here in something." The Doctor responded

"That's true" I said thinking more deeply about it. I sighed and stood up "I'm freezing, I need to go shower and change but I do want to discuss this. Maybe if we can find his ship we can find out why he ran."

"Well I'll be here" he said, his expression darkened by thought

"Aren't you going to change?" I asked "You must be freezing"

"I'm alright" he said kissing my forehead. "You go."


	37. Session 37: Hooverville

I sighed and looked at him

"Come with me" I said staring into his eyes, it might sound odd but I knew there was something on his mind, something important, and I didn't want to leave him alone. He hated being alone and I hated him being alone, hundreds of years he'd travelled by himself for a very long time after I disappeared and we'd both be lying if we said what happened didn't affect both of us, him more than me, and as much as we pretend it hasn't the evidence is just too apparent when we're together. It wasn't the same. As much as I'd like to pretend I feel safe and secure back in our TARDIS I was just as scared as he was. It was obvious if you knew what to look for, I was unsure if anyone we'd travelled with had noticed it, but it was there, clear as day. We were terrified of being separated again, simply petrified of even the smallest possibility. Especially now, when I was going through the remembrance process, I think if I lost the Doctor now I'd lose my only little slither of sanity. Imagine it, so many insane, terrifying and heartbreaking things screaming through your mind and nobody to help you make sense of them. I think the Doctor knew that too but not that I did. There were a lot of things I didn't tell the Doctor I knew. Even more so now that I was beginning to remember more, the more I remembered, the more things I felt would be best to play dumb about... like Rose.

"Why?" he asked putting on a brave face

"Because I just don't feel like being alone right now" I lied. I had to; I knew his pride would get in the way if I told him I was worried about him, he'd shrug it off and act like he was fine on his own. In all good honesty, I didn't know if he believed me or if he knew it was complete nonsense and just wanted to go along with it so not to feel weak, I knew it wasn't really relevant but I could never help but wonder.

"Alright" he said with a sigh "I understand why... it must be hard for you" he said getting up and walking out with me

"It's hard for both of us" I said looking at him "It's weird..." I said as my heart began to race. I wasn't sure if I was ready to drop a hint about this yet in case he picked up on it before I felt brave enough to confront him "I mean... sometimes I remember things that... well... seem more like your memories than mine?"

"Ah right that already..." he said thoughtfully "there's a reason we can't tell anyone our names, because anyone who does gets the same 'powers' as us" he explained

"Powers?" I asked

"yeah like regenerations... that's why you're the only one left who knows my name, and vice versa. It should only be known by the few people or maybe... one person we trust the most" He clarified.

"Really?" I asked "So that means I get your memories too?"

"Apparently" he asked but then a worried look crossed his face "What exactly do you remember?" I sighed and put on a brave face

"Not much" I began "just little bits here and there..."

"Like what?" he pressed and I sighed, I didn't want to say anything else, I wish I hadn't said anything in the first place. I should've really thought it through. I walked into the main bathroom and the Doctor followed

"The biggest memory I have is when you first met Rose..." I said hoping he'd believe me "is she still with Mickey?" I asked hoping to make it more believable.

"No..." he said "no I don't think so..."

"Oh, shame" I said stepping into the shower and removing my clothes.

"Lily" he said as I watched his silhouette take a seat on the rim of the bath as I threw my chlorine soaked clothes over the top of the shower door

"yeah?" I asked as I turned the shower on feeling the warm water soak me and quickly overpower the cold

"Did you... did you ever... have anyone... I mean... before you knew me" he asked

"Do you really want to know?" I asked

"Yeah." He replied "I'd feel better about a lot of things if I knew"

"OK then." I said dipping my head under the stream soaking my hair feeling the warm water chase away the cold. "If you must know then no, I didn't." I said slightly embarrassed, I thought a little harder "but there was this one boy, he was my best friend, my only friend really. I never felt anything for him though; he was more like a brother. Other than that there was nobody."

"Why not?" he asked

"Why do you want me to?" I asked and he stuttered slightly

"I don't. I mean, just you being you I would've thought someone would have taken an interest." He said as I squirted some shampoo into the palm of my hand and rubbing it into my hair

"Well you'd be right. There was one or two people who asked me out. It was me who wasn't interested. A lot of the time I asked myself why, I even asked myself if I was a lesbian for quite a few years but then I wasn't interested in any women either. I didn't know what was wrong with me. Now I do though." I explained with a sigh as I rinsed away the bubbles before stepping out of the shower into full view, catching the Doctor of guard

"Lily... you... you're... bare" he stuttered and I rolled my eyes

"Don't be so silly Doctor, according to you; you've seen it all before." I said squeezing the last of the water out of my hair "Pass me a towel" I said casually and he threw one over. "Did you?" I asked as I wrapped it around me

"Did I what?" he asked

"Did you have anyone?" I asked "y'know, before me" he paused as I came and sat beside him, of course, I already knew the answer.

"Well..." he began "there were a lot of women who I helped out who liked me afterwards" he said looking around. I looked at him, watching his expression become scared

"Did you like any of them back?" I asked and he changed the subject

"This boy" he began "what was his name" he asked and I smiled remembering him

"his name was James" I said trying hard to remember the sound of his voice, though I remember a lot of our conversations, our jokes and our days out, small details like that always got away from me.

was cut off by a violent shaking I slipped from the rim into the bath and banged my head, The Doctor slipped and landed on the tiled floor right on his bottom.

"I thought you had her parked?" I asked sitting up quickly in the tub

"So did I" The Doctor said quickly rushing off, I pulled myself out of the bath and chased after him holding my towel around me as I ran after him, I almost slipped several times as I ran, but it was quite useful as 90% of my journey was sped up my the sliding I did cross the floors. I skidded to a halt in the control room and checked all of the monitors

"That's odd" I said examining them "looks like we've been drawn through time by something rather big..." I ducked down and looked at another monitor "November 1st, 1930. Manhattan" I looked at him "ring any bells?"

"There's not a lot going on here right about now, they're still building the Empire State building" he said looking at monitors on the other side of the panel

"Think that could be our big thing?" I asked

"Could be" he said "Still, how has it managed to pull the TARDIS through time and space? It doesn't make sense. I mean, it doesn't seem big enough"

"Well." I said hitching my towel up "we could always go find out"

"Could be dangerous" he said

"Well then, we'd best go help out" I responded walking to the door and freezing as the cold air attacked my damp skin, I turned around and walked back inside "I'd best get dressed first..." I muttered and disappeared out of the control room and through the foyer to my bedroom, a few minutes later I was dressed and ready to go.

"All set?" the Doctor asked and I nodded, he lead the way outside, the cold Atlantic air hitting me as soon as I stepped out.

"Jesus it's freezing" I said looking around "you can't take me anywhere warm for once?" I asked and he laughed

"New York isn't known for its tropical weather Lily" he walked forward slightly looking up "have you met my friend?" he asked and I followed his gaze up into the clouds to find the Statue of Liberty standing tall and strong.

"Good grief she snuck up on us!" I said amused by the fact that I'd missed it up until now. I wandered around the island picking up a newspaper which was lay on a bench by us "Yep, there it is, black and white. November 1st, 1930. The TARDIS was bang on." I said handing him the paper

"She always is" he took it and scanned the front page, I smirked

"You know I love her Doctor but she's not always the most reliable" the Doctor lowered the paper and looked at me, horrified

"She's right there Lily! She can hear you!" he said and I laughed, I looked at the TARDIS apologetically

"Sorry sweetie, you know I love you" I said trying to hold in my laughter. I looked back at the Doctor to see his face had dropped "What's the matter with you?" I asked walking up and looking at the article he was reading

"Hooverville Mystery deepens" I read from the paper "Remind me again what Hooverville is?"

"Herbert Hoover, 31st President of the USA, came to power a year ago. Up till then New York was a boom town, the Roaring Twenties, and then…" he began

"Wall street crash, 1929. Yeah, I got that." I cut him off

"Yeah. Whole economy wiped out overnight. Thousands of people unemployed. Suddenly the huddled masses doubled in number with nowhere to go. So they ended up here in Central Park." The Doctor lead me away from the TARDIS and slowly to central park where there was a small area filled with makeshift tents and shelters, I'd like to call it a village, but it was more like a slum.

"So Hooverville... it's a slum?" I asked as we stopped outside the area

"More or less." The Doctor responded with his hands in his pockets "But the people here might not thank you for calling it that. Ordinary people. Lost their jobs. Couldn't pay the rent and they lost everything. There are places like this all over America. You only come to Hooverville when there's nowhere else to go." I looked on at the place before me and shook my head

"That's terrible..." I said in a sorrowful voice as we continued through Hooverville, eventually we came across some people, they were gathered around one man, a strong looking man he was giving a speech to two squabbling men before him

"We're all starvin'" he boomed as he broke a loaf of bread in half, giving one piece to each man "We all got families somewhere. No stealin' and no fightin'. You know the rules. Thirteen years ago I fought in the Great War. A lot of us did. And the only reason we got through was because we stuck together! No matter how bad things get, we still act like human beings. It's all we got."

"Come on" the Doctor said to me, breaking me away from my thoughts. I'd became lost in the man's words, curious and sympathetic. The Doctor lead me over to the man and in his ever cheerful voice began speaking to him "I suppose that makes you the boss around here?" he asked boldly.

"And, uh, who might you be?" the man asked

"The Doctor" he responded quickly "and this is my assistant Lillian."

"Assistant?" I repeated appalled

"Oh not now Lillian we can discuss this when we get back" he shrugged me off "She's been twisting my arm about a promotion lately I can't get her to give in" he said to the man jokingly

"Oh I'll twist your arm alright! You no good, lying, son of a-" he covered my mouth quickly and looked at the man apologetically

"Women ey? Give them even a little bit of power and suddenly they're the Queen" the man scoffed

"Didn't expect doctors to be so... childish" the man responded I frowned at him wondering why our trip had fallen on pick on Lily day

"Ignore him" I responded "I WAS recently promoted and like most men nowadays he has a hard time adjusting to me as an equal. My name is Doctor Lillian Fray, he's just the Doctor." I said glaring at the Doctor slightly, the man raised his eyebrow

"_Two _Doctors ey?" he scoffed "Well, we got, uh, stockbrokers, we got a lawyer, but you're the first doctors. Neighbourhood gets classier by the day." He said warming his hands over a small fire that burned in an old metal barrel.

"How many of you are there exactly?" I asked inquisitively looking around.

"At any one time, hundreds. No place else to go. But I will say this about Hooverville. We are a truly equal society, black, white, all the same. All starving." He laughed almost bitterly, then continued "So you're welcome. Both of you. But tell me, Doctors, you're a folk of learning, right? Explain this to me." He pointed at the empire state building " That there's going to be the tallest building in the world. How come they can do that, and we got people starving in the heart of Manhattan?" he asked, this time extremely bitterly. I stuttered, not knowing what to say, I looked at the Doctor who changed the subject by holding up the newspaper

"So…men are going missing. Is this true?"


	38. Session 38: And off Alice went after it

The man took the newspaper and sighed at the headline

"It's true alright" he sighed slinking away into his tent, we followed him, stopping in the opening.

"But what does missing mean?" The Doctor asked "Men must come and go here all the time. It's not like anyone's keeping a register."

"Come on in." The man said to us as he sat down, I walked straight in, the Doctor hesitated but soon joined us. We sat down in front of him and he continued "This is different" he began

"How so?" I asked

"Someone takes them. At night. We hear something. Someone calls out for help. By the time we get there, they're gone. Like they vanish into thin air." He explained and I raised an eyebrow

"And you're sure someone's taking them?" the Doctor asked. I was surprised, it seemed like a stupid question to me but after travelling with the Doctor, even for this small amount of time, I knew he never asked anything if not for a very good reason.

"Doctor, when you got next to nothing, you hold on to the little you got. Your knife, blanket, you take it with you. You don't leave bread uneaten, fire still burning." The man explained again in his bitter tone.

"Take it the police don't give a damn?" I asked the Doctor looked at me shocked

"Hit the nail on the head. We did try, but who's going to miss another deadbeat? So they're going missing? Big deal" he said, his tone unforgiving. I noticed the Doctor hadn't averted his eyes and I sighed

"Don't look at me that way" I said to him "I know it's not the same, but take it from 'just another broody teenager' people are cruel. They only care about a small group of people, and I wasn't in it when I was having my... issues. This is the same... but still worse." I said glaring at him slightly, angry at him for assuming I meant to be cruel and angry at myself for allowing myself to remember such an irrelevant part of my life, I'd let my bitterness get the best of me again so I tried to shake it off "So, that begs the question, who's taking these men and why?" I asked nobody. Suddenly a young man stuck his head through the tent opening

"Solomon, Mr. Diagoras is here." He said rather urgently the man, whose name I now knew was Solomon, stood up first and lead us outside to where a well off looking man was addressing the crowds.

"I need men. Volunteers. I got a little work for you and you sure look like you can use the money." The man, who I assumed to be 'Mr. Diagoras' shouted

"Yeah, what's the money?" came a voice from the crowd

"A dollar a day" Diagoras responded quickly causing the men to grumble

"What's the work?" Solomon shouted out above the grumbling masses

"A little trip down the sewers. Got a tunnel that collapsed needs clearing and fixing. Any takers?" Diagoras asked

"A dollar a day? That's slave wage. Men don't always come back up, do they?" Solomon challenged him, but the man only smirked

"Accidents happen" he grinned, it made me feel sick.

"What do you mean? What sort of accidents?" The Doctor asked

"You don't need the work? That's fine. Anybody else?" he asked and the Doctor raised his hand. Diagoras snapped at him "Enough with the questions." He demanded

"Oh no, I'm volunteering!" The Doctor explained cheerfully. I sighed and raised my hand

"Guess that means I am too" I said unenthused Solomon and another young man also raised their hands and we were swept up into the sewers right then and there.

Later on, when we arrived, Diagoras went with us into the sewers but only as far as the entrance.

"Turn left. Go about half a mile. Follow Tunnel 273. Fall's right ahead of you. You can't miss it." He instructed

"And when do we get our dollar?" the young man asked, he'd introduced himself to me earlier as Frank.

"When you come back up" Diagoras said bluntly

"And if we don't?" I asked raising my eyebrow

"Then I got nobody to pay" Diagoras replied with a sickening lack of sympathy, my stomach turned and I glared at him

"Then I'll be seeing you later." I said coldly before turning and staring into the darkness "and down Alice went after it, never once considering how it the world she would get back out" I mumbled in a tired tone, not liking the way this was looking or feeling, before turning to the men and putting on a cheerier tone "Well then gentlemen, to work!" The men nodded in agreement and we headed down the tunnel. The Doctor hung back and stared at our employer for a few moments before breaking away and joining us.

"We just gotta stick together. It's easy to get lost. It's like a huge rabbit warren. You could hide an army down here." Frank said apprehensively, more to comfort himself than anyone else

"So Frank" I said casually trying to keep his mind at ease "Where do you hail from? Doesn't sound like you're from around here" I said trying to strike up conversation

"You can talk" he said jokingly "I'm from Tennessee, born and bred."

"So what are you doing out here?" I asked shoving my hands in my pocket as we waded through the slur

"Uh, my daddy died. Mama…couldn't afford to feed us all. So, I'm the oldest, up to me to feed myself, so put on my coat, hitched up here on the railroads. There's a whole lot of runaways in camp younger than me. From all over; Missouri, Oklahoma, Texas… Solomon keeps a lookout for us. So, what about you? You're a long way from home." He asked politely, I chuckled for a moment, wondering how I could explain my situation

"Not really... I'm a traveller... of sorts; me and the Doctor, so our home goes with us wherever we go." I said smirking. "But, if you're looking for specifics... yes... I'm a VERY long way away from where I came from." I explained and Frank smirked

"You stick with me" he said in a friendly manner "You'll be alright" I smiled and noticed the Doctor talking to Solomon I listened in to what they were saying

"So this Diagoras bloke, who is he then?" The Doctor asked

"A couple of months ago, he was just another foreman. Now it seems like he's running most of Manhattan." He explained

"How'd he manage that, then?" The Doctor inquired further

"These are strange times." Solomon began "A man can go from being King of the Hill to the lowest of the low overnight. It's just for some folks it works the other way 'round."

"Woah!" the Doctor cried, barely giving Solomon the time to finish his sentence, I looked at what he was so startled by, a mass of slimy green muck, glowing a sickly green glow. I walked forward recoiling at the scent

"My God it's putrid!" I exclaimed as the Doctor crouched by it, I covered my nose and mouth as he did "Don't touch it you've got no idea what it is!" I advised urgently but he just ignored me and picked it up, I wretched at the sight "Ugh that's vile! You could get sick from touching that!" The Doctor just made me gag further by holding it to his face and sniffing it

"Shine your torch through it" he instructed and I did, coughing as I did so "Composite organic matter. Lily? Medical opinion?" he asked, my eyes watering from the constant wretching

"Whatever it came from can't be too healthy" I coughed "Nor can it be human, that is a fairly obvious fact" I pointed out whilst Solomon and Frank looked puzzled

"Right you are" the Doctor began "And I'll tell you something else. We must be at least half a mile in and I don't see any sign of a collapse, do you? So why did Mr Diagoras send up down here?" he pointed out and I whined

"Oh god, so where the hell are we?" I asked lowly

"Smack bang underneath Manhattan" the Doctor said dropping the goo and looking up.

"We're way beyond half a mile, no collapse, nothing" Solomon repeated

"Well then" I said clicking my heels together "someone was telling fibs" I said looking over my shoulder at where we came from. "Didn't like that Diagoras fellow anyway. Something about him just didn't sit right with me" I said thoughtfully to myself

"And you still came along?" Frank asked surprised and I grinned

"Oh that's _why_ I came along." I responded cheerfully

"Is she nuts?" Solomon turned to the Doctor and asked who smirked

"A little bit, I think" he responded bluntly before walking alongside me as I lead the group. I stopped, as the air suddenly changed, it felt thicker and like it was buzzing with malicious electricity.

"Why would he send us down here?" Frank asked as if somebody would know. The Doctors expression changed.

"Solomon, I think it's time you took these two back. I'll be much quicker on my own." The Doctor said and I sighed

"This is getting dull now dearest. I've not once in my many years left you alone by choice and I'm not starting n-" I was cut off by a horrendous squeal echo through the tunnels, my stomach did several flips and an Olympic gymnastic routine. "That being said, I'm not sure I want to be in the same tunnel as whatever made that noise" I said with a strained and shocked voice

"What the hell was that?" Solomon asked in a much manlier tone

"Hello?!" Frank called out

"Frances! Behave!" I said in a urgent hushed tone

"What if it's one of the folk gone missing? You'd be scared, half-mad down here on your own." He argued and I was stumped. I hadn't thought of it that way, clearly neither had anyone else either

"You think they're still alive?" The Doctor asked

"Heck, we ain't seen no bodies down here. Maybe they just got lost." He said hopefully, followed by more squealing. I jumped and grabbed the Doctors hand. I didn't like it one bit, it was creepy as hell.

"I know I never heard nobody make a sound like that." Solomon argued, as the Doctor began to walk ahead. The fear didn't want me to go with him, but it also didn't want me to be without him so I followed. Allowing myself the option to run away and drag his skinny behind along with me should the proverbial shit go down.

"This way" he said but Solomon shone his light down a different tunnel

"No this way" he said as the beam of light skimmed over a figure hunched over in the corner, I made my way over slowly letting go of the Doctors hand

"Lily be careful" he said urgently and I just brushed him off

"Don't worry, he's not going to hurt me are you?" I said in a soft tone hunching down by the figure "Listen, we came down here to do a job but, you look a bit frazzled and for a good reason, this place is awful" the creature before me squealed as I put my flashlight on the floor "This is no place for anyone, 90% darkness, 10% artificial light, the stuff of nightmares. We know the way out if you want to come?" I caught a glimpse of the creatures face, a pig. It looked like one of those horrible rubber Halloween masks teenagers wandered around in on Halloween. "Ah I see." I said thoughtfully "Listen, I know you must be scared, but I'm a doctor and I've treated worse than this. If you come with me I can help you recover" I spoke gently to the man who didn't seem to move "But first I need to know how this happened"

"Lily." The Doctor interrupted "back away now" he said urgently, I looked up to see a horde of creatures like the one before me filling up the opposite end of the tunnel

"Ah... yes good plan." I said getting up and slowly backing away as the pig men followed me "Well gentlemen I don't know about you but I think that we are in rather unwelcoming company at the moment and I would _really_ like it if we could... well y'know... get the hell out of here as quickly as possible?!"


	39. Session 39: Pig-men! Pig-men everywhere!

"This way!" The Doctor instructed, when we reached a fork in the tunnel system, he grabbed my hand and pulled me along in one direction

"There's a ladder!" I pointed at as we ran, I stopped at the bottom to let the Doctor pass me but he just picked me up and placed me onto the ladder, following quickly behind, I used my ring to open up the lid and looked down to see how close behind us the pig men were, they were gaining on us. I watched with the others from the above as Frank picked up a pipe and began trying to hold them off with it.

"Frank, come on!" Solomon shouted as he began to climb the ladder. Frank was swinging wildly at the pig men who now gathered around him, only backing off slightly when the pipe swooped to close to them, he turned to us and seeing we were all safe above he dropped the pipe with an almighty clank and ran towards the ladder to join us

"Hurry up Frank!" I shouted as my heart pounded furiously in my chest as I watched him hurry over, the Doctor reached down and tried to grab his hand pulling him onto the ladder but the pig men got to him before he could join us and ripped him from the Doctors grasp.

"Frank!" I shouted leaning over the hole

"No!" the Doctor cried, readying himself to follow, however, Solomon pushed him aside

"We can't go after him!" Solomon said urgently trying to speak some sense into the Doctor

"We can't just leave him!" The Doctor argued

"No, I'm not losing anybody else! Those creatures were from Hell, from Hell itself!" Solomon spoke firmly but was noticeably panicked "If we go after them, they'll take us all! There's nothing we can do. I'm sorry." He concluded, but we all had our attention stolen by a high pitched female voice coming from behind us. I turned to see a woman who, to me, looked like she'd just stepped out of a Las Vegas promotion poster from the fifties, except the showgirls in the posters don't hold guns.

"All right, put 'em up!" she ordered pointing her gun at us. Nobody responded so she cocked the gun "Hands in the air! No funny business!" she ordered again, this time we all reluctantly raised our arms. "Now tell me, you schmucks, what've you done with Lazlo?" she asked us in a brave tone, I raised my eyebrow

"Who?" I asked feeling annoyed by this whole ordeal, we escape a horde of mutant pig men only to be cornered in the dressing room of some psychopathic showgirl. She kept the gun aimed at us as she explained

"Lazlo's my boyfriend, or was my boyfriend until two weeks ago. No letter, no good-bye, no nothin'. And I'm not stupid." She began to wave the gun around as she spoke, becoming distracted by the conversation "I know some guys are just pigs but not my Lazlo. I mean, what kinda guy asks you to meet his mother before he vamooses?" She continued, I rolled my eyes at the 'men are just pigs' phrase. Usually, I would find a pun like that funny, even more so that the girl who said it had no idea how right she was, but now, it just felt like it came up a little too fast and too soon after.

"It might, might just help if you put that down." The Doctor suggested nervously, I didn't know what he was so worried about, I doubted a regular gun could kill him.

"Huh?" the girl muttered as she looked at the item in her hands, clearly forgetting she had it "oh sure" she said throwing it onto the chair, causing us all to flinch "Oh come on! It wasn't real!" she scoffed whilst rolling her eyes "It was either that or a spear"

"So what do you think happened to Lazlo?" I asked lowering my arms slowly

"I wish I knew. One minute he's there, the next, zip—vanished." She said hopelessly

"What's your name?" I asked and she smiled weakly

"Tallulah, three 'L's and an 'H'" she said happily, I smiled back

"Lily. Two 'L's and a 'Y'"

"Tallulah, we can try to find Lazlo, but it's not just him, other men are vanishing every night" the Doctor explained

"And there are creatures. Such creatures." Solomon added in what can only be described as a horrified tone

"Whaddaya mean "creatures"?" Tallulah asked without a hint of fear

"Look. Listen, just trust me. Everyone is in danger. I need to find out exactly what this is" The Doctor began removing the blob from his pocket, I recoiled in disgust

"Oh Doctor!" I said in a repulsed tone

"then I'll know exactly what we're fighting." He concluded, ignoring my disgust. Tallulah also recoiled, making a un approving 'Yech!' sound as she did.

"I can't believe you had that thing in your pocket!" I said to the Doctor who put it back

"Well how would you recommend we carried it about?" he asked as he began to scavenge through the props

"I _wouldn't_ recommend it!" I said as I watched him

"Alright people, try and find me something... electrical... and impressive looking! It might be useful!" he ordered everyone else

"How about this?" Solomon said holding up a radio "I found it backstage"

"Perfect!" The Doctor exclaimed excitedly as he took it from him " It's the capacitors I need. I'm just rigging up a crude little DNA scan for this beastie. If I can get a chromosomal reading, I'll find out where it's from." He twittered on as he removed the back of the radio and used his screwdriver on the insides

"How about you, Doctor? Where are you from? I've been all over. I've never heard anybody talk like you. Just exactly who are you?" Solomon asked, the Doctor seemed to be paying him little interest as he took out a piece of the radio and blew on it

"Oh we've been all over, me and Lily. We were just sort of passing by" He responded dismissively

"I'm not a fool Doctor." Solomon pushed but achieved nothing

"No. Sorry" The Doctor said, again, dismissively. As if he was stone walling the confused man before him. I felt bad, like I wanted to explain everything to him, having been through my own situation in which I was the confused human, thrust into the world of the Doctor, stupid, helpless and confused, like a new born baby; I knew exactly how he felt. I loved travelling with the Doctor, but from what experience I had, I'd learned that knowledge was the greatest means of safety we had and I never felt quite so weak and venerable, as when I didn't know what was going on.

"I was so scared, Doctor" Solomon said quietly as he walked over to the sewer lid and looked over it "I let them take Frank 'cause I was just too scared. I gotta get back to Hooverville. With these creatures on the loose, we gotta protect ourselves. Ain't no one else gonna help us." He said quietly and hopelessly. I knew I couldn't comfort him, there was no point. He was scared, yes, but not so scared that he wouldn't lay his life on the line to protect that which he loved.

"Good luck, Solomon" I said watching him with both pity and admiration, so far, he was holding it together better than I was.

"I hope you find what you're looking for. For all our sakes." He said as he left, once he was gone I looked at the Doctor who was still fiddling with the radio, deciding to leave him to it I followed Tallulah into her dressing room where she was sat at a vanity table putting on make-up, I sat in a seat behind her and watched.

"You look nice" I said with a weak smile "you'll have to teach me some tricks" she smiled back just as weakly but sighed and put down her brush

"I just don't feel like it tonight, I don't know how I'm gunna put on a smile" she said lowly.

"Wow. This Lazlo must be pretty special" I said leaning back into the chair "What's he like?" I asked

"Such a gentleman" she replied with a softer more genuine smile "He'd wait for me after the show, walk me home like I was a lady. He'd leave a flower for me on my dressing table. Every day, just a single rose." She described him like I would the Doctor, lovingly and softly, as if every word was a sigh of adoration. I got up out of my seat and walked over

"and you haven't reported him missing?" I asked

"Sure." She said "He's just a stagehand. Who cares? The management certainly don't."

"So kick up a fuss" I suggested "Kick, scream, shout, cry, cuss, do whatever."

"Sure, if I wanna get the can" she replied, I sighed, answer for everything, this one.

"Surely they have to listen to one of their stars?" I asked with a grin

"Oh, honey, I got one stone in a back street revue and that's only because Heidi Chicane broke her ankle—which had nothin' to do with me whatever anybody says. I can't afford to make a fuss. If I don't make this month's rent, then before you know it, I'm in Hooverville." She explained it in more detail and I hummed with a better understanding

"Ah right, Okay."

"It's the Depression, sweetie. Your heart might break, but the show goes on and if it stops, you starve. Every night I have to go out there, sing, dance, keep goin'. Hoping he's gonna come back." She said, her voice shaking more and more until she finally broke down, I hugged her, startled by the sudden rush of tears

"Hey, hey, none of that now" I said reassuringly "You're brave, strong. Braver and stronger than I would be"

"Hey, you're lucky, though. You got yourself a forward thinking guy with that hot potato in the sharp suit." She said and I smiled looking over at him

"What makes you think we're together?" I asked her with a grin

"Oh come on sweetie, I've seen the way you look at each other. If that's not love then I don't know what is" she said warmly

"Alright you got me" I admitted "We're together now but we were... separated a long time ago." I smiled at her "He travelled a very, very long way and found me purely by chance, if that can happen to us, it can happen with you and your Lazlo."

"You don't know how right you are" she said smiling as she picked up a rose from her dressing table "Look. On my dressing table every day still." I smiled at her as he handed me the rose, I looked at it briefly and handed it back

"If you believe in nothing else, believe in that." I said as she put it back

"I don't know. If he's still around, why's he bein' all secret like he doesn't want me to see him?" she asked not really expecting anyone to know, when a voice called out to Tallulah, it was then, after I'd looked around that I'd realised the Doctor had wandered off

"Showtime" Tallulah said with a smile, I followed her and the other girls out and stood in the wings watching. I heard the announcer loudly announce the girls and the curtains parted, all of the girls dressed in red with tails and horns, they parted and Tallulah sashayed through to the microphone and began to sing her song. As I watched the dance begin something caught my eye in the wing opposite me, another pig man like the ones we encountered in the sewers but it looked different and he didn't seem to be aggressive, he was just... stood there. Worried he would run the minute he noticed he was spotted I tried to quickly and discreetly cut across the stage behind the girls, but it certainly wasn't quick or discreet as I got tangled up in some of the showgirls tails causing them to trip.

"Get off the stage, you're spoilin' it!" Tallulah hissed at me

"Everyone's a critic aren't they? Didn't even give me a chance to do a song! Well personally I think I'd make a very tasteful showgirl but that's beside the point, look!" I said pointing to the wings which I then discovered was very stupid as Tallulah squealed and the pig man darted having discovered I'd seen him. "Hey!" I shouted finally pushing through the last of the girls and chasing him. I chased him through the halls trying to call to him as I did

"Wait" I called out "You're different! Please, I'm a doctor I can help you" I whispered under my breath "I think." I ran into the prop room but there was nothing but a clanging noise. "Shit." I said trying to catch my breath, I rested my hands on my knees as I steadied my breathing, but no sooner had I caught it did another pig man grab me from behind, I screamed in surprise and called for help as I tried to wriggle free of his grip. I managed to kick him only once and he dropped me but I hit my head on a wooden board which made me dizzy. He grabbed hold of me again as I was trying to clamber to my feet and he hit my head against the board again making the dizziness even worse. They dragged me through the sewers and through a series of tunnels, as I began to regain my senses I struggled and another pig man grabbed me to try and hold me still.

"Let me go!" I screamed continuously trying to get free, I cussed and struggled and screamed and cursed but they held on to me until they pushed me into a cold, damp and smelly wall, one of them brought their face up extremely close to mine and I was nearly sick, just then some more pig men came past with several humans all lined up

"Lily?" I heard one of them say, I looked towards them to see Frank, my stomach flipped and I ran over to him and kissed him on the cheek

"You jammy little sod!" I said so relieved to see him "I thought you'd died! What happened?!" I asked urgently but before he could answer one of the pig men pushed him "Alright, alright" I said before looking again at Frank "Not very good to their guests are they?" I asked as we began following the leader

"Where are they taking us?" Frank asked

"Well I've just got here" I said jokingly "but I'll tell you when we get there"

(AUTHORS NOTE: I'm so so so so so sorry I haven't updated this story in a while, I've just been super busy. I hope that all of it's followers are still as interested as they used to be because I have so many fantastic ideas for how to go on. Please forgive my not posting and thank you so much for all those who've stayed loyal to my story, you've been unbelievably patient and supportive so thank you, please keep reading and reviewing and I'll try to get chapters up more often. Thanks.)


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